Residents of British Columbia’s Texada Island have been warned to be “bear aware” after a large grizzly bear was spotted on the island.
The bear managed to swim from the Powell River area to the island, a gap that would require at minimum a few miles in the water to cross. The bear is an adult male with a yellow ear tag and was first spotted in the Pocahontas Bay area.
According to Texada resident Mark Robert, the largest predator on the island used to be just a raccoon. The Times Colonist reports that Robert saw a black bear on the island last fall and was the first to photograph the grizzly when it appeared.
The qathet Regional District is urging residents and visitors of the island to remain bear aware and do their best to prevent the grizzly from accessing human food. As they point out, these steps are vital to keep the bear from becoming habituated.
Robert points out that very few people on the island are prepared for a large predator. Many of the island’s farms aren’t set up to keep out a bear. Those who might spot the bear in the wild are asked report sightings to the Conservation Officer Service RAPP line: 1-877-952-7277.
