A large male grizzly bear swam to British Columbia’s Texada Island last month. The bear’s ear tag identifies it as a problem bear, and locals are worried that officials will come and euthanize it. Now concerned residents are attempting to interrupt the bear’s impromptu coastal getaway by crowd-sourcing the bear’s one-way ticket off the island.
The grizzly, which the islanders have nicknamed “Tex,” showed up near Shehtekwahn Bay on May 25, likely swimming over from the Powell River area, according to a qathet Regional District social media post. Since then, Tex, who sports a yellow ear tag, has been roaming around and randomly making appearances. The bear was even spotted in a backyard on Saturday. While the bear showed no aggression, just having a grizzly on the 116-square-mile island is enough to keep folks on high alert.
“When I first heard about Tex, I didn’t panic. I took simple precautions — securing garbage, making sure no pet food was left outside, and adjusting my routines,” Texada resident Katrin Glenn-Bittner wrote on Facebook. “Living with wildlife is nothing new here in Canada, yet to Texada, who has been mostly predator-free, we need to be proactive now, and in the future.”
Rather than wait for wildlife officials to take management action, a few islanders are taking matters into their own hands with a plan full of small-town grit. Glenn-Bittner, along with her partner Kelly Hughes and her brother David Bittner, a biologist and bear researcher from Switzerland, are spearheading a grassroots solution to raise enough funds to get Tex the Bear tranquilized, GPS-collared, and airlifted to a suitable wilderness area. The ambitious plan could cost up to $30,000, according to the organizers, who say the bear has already been relocated twice in the past by officials.
“He hasn’t harmed anyone or caused serious trouble,” Glenn-Bittner wrote in her post. “And he deserves a second chance.”
But the province isn’t on board.
“This plan is not sanctioned by the COS (Conservation Officer Service) or the province,” the Ministry of Environment and Parks said in a statement.
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According to the Ministry of Environment and Parks, Tex’s “conflict history” means the bear is considered a threat, which puts it on the wrong side of BC’s Human Wildlife Conflict Response Guidelines. Those guidelines call for lethal removal for bears that have damaged property, attacked pets or livestock, or show aggressive behavior toward people.
For now, Tex remains at large. Locals are being asked to secure their garbage, keep pets close, and report any sightings of the bear.
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