The grizzly bear that frequented Squamish this summer did not survive its third relocation, says the co-ordinator of Squamish WildSafe BC.
In early August, the conservation officers airlifted the 550-pound, male bear to a remote location far afield from Squamish. Two weeks previous, the grizzly was relocated for a second time after returning to its initial location of interest – the Squamish Landfill.
Conservation officers equipped the bear with a radio collar. When the tracking device didn’t seem to be straying from the area the bear was left, a biologist went back to find out what was going on, Meg Toom said.
“The grizzly is dead,” she said.
Relocation of wildlife is not a silver bullet, Toom noted. The animals have to be doped with drugs and the stress of the incident can damage their health, she noted.
“He [the grizzly] was moved three time within a short period of time,” Toom added.
It’s a sad ending to a massive amount of effort pitched in by conservation officers, she said. Ministry of environment officials worked hard to give the bear the best opportunity to re-introduce himself into the wilderness.
“There were a lot of resources put toward this bear,” she said.
