An adult male grizzly that took a wrong turn and ended up waling the streets of downtown Squamish last week has been captured and relocated by local conservation officers.
"We captured him on Thursday (May 17) evening at about 6 p.m. in the Estuary near downtown," said conservation officer Chris Doyle.
"He was a male about three to four years old. He was caught in a snare and then immobilized. After that he was transferred to a live trap," said Doyle.
Once the bear, which had been spotted on the west side of downtown a number times since last Tuesday (May 15), was secure in the trap he was transferred to the Upper Elaho Valley and released.
The same bear has caused some problems in the past.
"Not coming into communities, but we have had some problems with it getting into garbage from illegal rave parties and campers," said Doyle.
If the bear were to return to a populated area conservation officers would have to decide whether or not to consider him a problem animal.
"It depends if it gets into conflict."
The fact that the bear has been exposed to garbage in the backcountry is one reason it may have been attracted to the community, and Doyle reminds people to take bears into account when disposing of their refuse while camping.
Some residents are also changing the way they deal with their garbage within Squamish itself.
The strata at 10,000 Valley Drive have agreed to install Critter Guard Lock systems on the garbage containers for all of its property owners - 26 in total.
With a number of black bears, and now a grizzly, calling the mountains around Squamish home people are encouraged to watch how they dispose of their waste no matter where they are.
"People have to be careful with their garbage," said Doyle
