The grizzly sow relocated from Nelson’s Mountain Station a few years ago is back – this time with three new cubs in tow.
The family of four was spotted near the Mountain Station rail trails in Uphill this week.
It’s the same sow that was relocated from the city in the fall of 2023 with her two adolescent cubs.
WildSafeBC community coordinator Lisa Thomson said there are concerns the bear may be more protective of this year’s litter, as the cubs were born earlier this year.
“She hasn’t shown any signs of aggression, but we just know female grizzlies are very protective of their young. And so, there’s concern that should she encounter anyone or anything unfavourable, it might become an issue,” said Thomson.
When the sow was relocated in 2023, conservation officers placed a radio collar on her, but it has since come off.
“That collar has come off because they have an expiry of about two years on their battery life and they’re designed to fall off. So I believe that came off in October at some point,” Thomson explained.
She said the family was spotted frequently around Cottonwood Lake throughout the summer, noting one of the cubs appears to have an injured leg, though it doesn’t seem to be affecting its quality of life.
“One of the cubs does still appear to have some lameness, so not walking that great on its hind leg, but it motors along pretty well, keeps up with its siblings and it’s thriving like the whole family.”
Grizzlies usually enter their winter dens by late October or early November. While the Mountain Station Rail Trail remains open to the public for now, Thomson strongly encouraged people to avoid the area until the bears move on.
“If you are insisting on using the Mountain Station trails and the Rail Trail, keep your pets on leash, make lots of noise and ideally travel in groups of four. But ideally you would just find somewhere else to go for the next few weeks.”
She also emphasized the importance of managing wildlife attractants on properties, especially pumpkins, now that Halloween is over.
“Halloween is inconveniently scheduled during hyperphagia season for bears. So it’s not a great time of the year to have our pumpkins out on our front doorsteps,” she said.
“So we are encouraging people to dispose of them responsibly – that means not leaving them out front to rot and not dumping them in the forest.”
Lastly, those who spot the grizzly family are urged to report sightings to WildSafeBC Nelson, which allows Thomson and local conservation officers to monitor where the bears are frequenting.
“I am appreciating reports of the grizzly bear family’s movement. So if people can phone, email or Facebook message me, that way we can make sure that those areas they are frequenting are dialed in with managing their wildlife attractants.”
Sightings, or wildlife attractant concerns, can be reported by contacting Thomson directly at nelson@wildsafebc.com or 250-551-6376
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