A grizzly bear that had been living on Texada Island since May has been found shot dead, prompting an investigation by British Columbia's Conservation Officer Service.
The Conservation Officer Service confirmed the discovery in a Facebook post on Tuesday:
"Conservation Officers have located a dead grizzly bear in the Van Anda area on Texada Island. The COS can confirm it is the tagged grizzly bear seen on Texada Island in recent weeks, and that it was shot. The bear will undergo a necropsy."
The service is investigating the shooting after receiving a report from RCMP on Monday afternoon that the bear had been shot and possibly wounded by a member of the public in the Van Anda area. Conservation officers arrived on the island Monday to begin their investigation.
British Columbia banned grizzly bear hunting in 2017, with exceptions only for First Nations hunting for food, social and ceremonial purposes. The investigation suggests authorities are treating this as a potential violation of wildlife protection laws.
The adult male grizzly, estimated to be five years old, first appeared on Texada Island in late May. The island, located between Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast in the Strait of Georgia, is home to approximately 1,100 residents and does not typically have large predators.
According to provincial officials, the bear had previously been relocated twice from urban areas in Gibsons and Sechelt on the mainland in 2024 after being found near schools and downtown areas. The animal had exhibited problematic behavior including stalking residents and chasing livestock.
The Conservation Officer Service is asking anyone with information about the shooting to contact the RAPP line at 1-877-952-7277.
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