A second grizzly bear has been captured by the B.C. Conservation Officer Service (COS) following a harrowing bear attack in Bella Coola last week.
As was the case with the first captured bear, it’s unclear if this second bear was involved in the attack.
The second bear was safely captured in Bella Coola Monday, Nov. 24, the COS confirmed in a social media update Tuesday afternoon.
“The male bear is currently being assessed. Preliminary evidence is not conclusive that the captured bear was involved in the attack,” the COS said.
Just like the first captured bear, this bear will be fitted with a tracking collar and relocated within its home range, far from the Bella Coola community, in coordination with Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship wildfire biologists and the provincial wildlife veterinarian, the COS said.
The bear attack occurred on Nov. 20 and lefty four people seriously injured — one adult and three children. The victims were among a group of students and teachers who had stopped along a trail near a river in the 4 Mile area when the attack took place. In all, 11 people were injured.
The COS has been endeavouring to locate and capture multiple grizzly bears since the attack.
The B.C. Wildlife Federation said a day after the attack that human-bear conflicts are worsening following the B.C. government’s decision to end the grizzly bear hunt. Since the ban in 2017, calls about grizzly bears doubled to nearly 1,000 a year.
The grizzly hunt ended in B.C. largely due to popular opinion, with no scientific rationale, according to the BC Wildlife Federation, which called the decision “a shortsighted move.”
Bella Coola residents are urged to report any bear sightings or information to the Report All Poachers and Polluters (RAPP) line at 1-877-952-7277.
— With files from Laisa Condé and Trevor Crawley