Anger over the killing of a yearling grizzly brought about two dozen people to a protest in Nelson Thursday.
The group gathered outside the provincial government office at 333 Victoria Street, calling for more transparency from wildlife officials and alternatives to lethal management.
Katie Graves, founder of the Ursa Project and a local bear advocate, was among those attending. She said the demonstration was an opportunity for people to come together and mourn the bear.
“We hope that people will see that there are people who care,” Graves said.
Graves said she wants to see other options used to manage conflicts between people and bears, including hazing and enforcement around attractants.
“The Conservation Officers Service have a lot of powers,” she said. “They could haze the bears. They can fine people. They do none of these things, and there are better ways we can do this that is not just taking a life.”
She said people also have a responsibility to prevent conflicts by securing potential food sources.
“Please mind your attractants,” Graves said. “Clean your barbecue, mind your garbage. We live in black bear and grizzly country. So if we could do our part, we can peacefully coexist because these bears certainly wanted to.”
Another protester, April Giroux, said she wants more information from the province about how bears go from being reported as problem animals to being killed.
“I hope the message sends that the locals and the people, we would like more transparency from conservation and from the ministry,” Giroux said.
She also wants answers about the circumstances that led to the yearling’s death.
“When there is apparently problem bears, how do we get to the point where they’re destroyed when we haven’t even heard, the public hasn’t even heard that there’s been any conflict?” she said.
Giroux said residents also need to become more comfortable living alongside wildlife.
“We can coexist,” she said.
She asked people to consider how their own behaviour can contribute to wildlife conflicts, particularly when it comes to food and garbage.
“Check your privilege. Like, they [bears] don’t have a choice,” Giroux said. “They can’t go to the grocery store. We just need to realize that we can all live together.”
The B.C. Conservation Officer Service said in a statement that it is aware of seven grizzly bears that have been frequenting the Nelson area in two groups — one made up of a sow and three yearlings and another with a sow and two yearlings.
One of the yearlings was euthanized Wednesday after the service said its age, injured leg and conflict history made it unsuitable for rehabilitation or relocation.
Trapping efforts are underway for the remaining bears, with any captured bears to be assessed to determine the next steps.
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