A third grizzly bear from a family of four that had become habituated to humans near the city of Nelson, B.C., has been killed. Conservation officers dispatched the yearling bear on Thursday, less than two weeks after it had been relocated from the community with its sibling to a mountainous area more than 50 kilometres away. On Aug. 14, the same day the animals were relocated, their mother was killed by conservation officers due to its habituation to humans. Another yearling from the group was killed two days prior as it was not a suitable candidate for relocation due to a leg injury, the B.C. Conservation Officer Service said. The third bear was killed Thursday after it was found in a residential area near Christina Lake, where witnesses reported seeing the young male bear on the beach, on a boat, in backyards and on a golf course, wildlife officials said in a statement. “It was observed eating garbage in a busy campground resort on Thursday,” the conservation officer service said. “The high degree of comfort around people in a residential setting, dependence on non-natural food and previous relocation made a subsequent relocation, or rehabilitation, not viable.” The last surviving cub from the group—a female yearling—is being closely monitored by authorities. “Killing any bear is an unfortunate outcome that we work hard to prevent,” the conservation officer service said. “Too often, bears become food-conditioned because attractants are not properly secured.” Wildlife officials are reminding residents to remove attractants, such as garbage and fruit on fruit-bearing trees, to minimize conflicts with animals.
