For the first time ever, a mother grizzly and cubs have been confirmed on Vancouver Island.
Professional wildlife photographer and videographer Catherine Babault filmed an interaction between the bears and a herd of Roosevelt elk on the North Island, near the end of July. She’s not sure if they swam here, as lone juveniles have done in the past, or were born here, which would be another first for the Island.
“I have no idea how they came here,” she says. “I don’t know if they were born here. They’re yearlings, so they are obviously over one year old.”
To protect the bears from trophy hunters, Babault doesn’t want to give away too many details about where she found them. She says she was out filming early in the morning, and watched the elk chase the bears from their feeding grounds.
“The Roosevelt elk have been grazing that area for a very long time, so it’s pretty much their spot. They’re just telling the grizzly bears about the rules,” she said.
She said the sighting is good for Vancouver Island. But, she adds, people should remember to be bear smart while out in the woods and exploring the Island.
Garbage and fruit are among the top attractants for grizzlies, with livestock being the largest. For information about how to prevent negative interactions with grizzlies, visit Wildsafe BC’s website.
Babault’s video can be viewed below.
