Grizzly bear rarely seen on Sunshine Coast not fazed by barking dog
It was a rare sight in more ways than one.
A grizzly bear was videoed last week on the lawn of a home in Sechelt, B.C., enjoying fruit from a tree it knocked down — and ignoring the consistent barking of a dog named Andy.
"Andy is at the very least 80 pounds, likely more. As you can see, [the bear was] not concerned with myself or Andy," wrote Eliza Yates, who took the video.
Grizzly bears are not part of the habitat on the Sunshine Coast, but one was seen and killed in the village of Egmont last month.
"It's not all that surprising," said conservation officer Sgt. Dean Miller, who confirmed that it was a grizzly bear. He says it's likely that the bear's traditional home was in the adjacent Chilcotin region of B.C.
"Either they're dispersing because of limited food supply, or it could potentially be that these are low bears on the pecking order, and they're being pushed away."
Officers hoping not to destroy bear
Humorous as the encounter between the dog and bear seems, the grizzly's presence is concerning conservation officers.
There have been multiple sightings of the bear in Sechelt this week. The grizzly has also killed a local black bear.
Miller says conservation officers have placed a trap next to the area where the grizzly stored the black bear and are hopeful they can relocate it.
"We are definitely prioritizing public safety in this case, but we are also concerned for the well-being of this bear," he said.
"We don't want to get into a situation where a member of the public destroys this bear themselves."
Miller is asking residents of Sechelt to eliminate garbage and fruit that would be available to bears — and, if they see the grizzly, contact them at 1-877-952-7277.
