An 800-pound male grizzly bear has been captured alive in West Sechelt and moved to a remote location by helicopter.
Conservation officer Sgt. Dean Miller found the bear snared by the leg Thursday in a trap set on Elk House Farm. The bear had been to the farm earlier in the week, but had not been spotted since.
“My guard was down when I went to check the traps,” said Miller. “I wasn’t really expecting to find anything in there. We hadn’t had a report on this bear since Monday morning.”
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That’s one big bear.
Officers assisted by the RCMP fired tranquilizer darts at the bear to immobilize it, then used a truck winch threaded through a black bear trap to drag the animal up a ramp and into the container.
“It took two darts and eventually he went down,” said Miller. “He is a big, strong animal.”
In all, it took six officers to move the bear safely into the trap.
“I’m still wrapping my head around the pure size and strength of this bear, it was very intimidating,” he said.
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The bear is relocated by helicopter. ASPEN WING PHOTO
On the advice of a staff biologist, conservation officers decided to transport the bear that day to avoid drugging it a second time, which can result in mortality. Miller called in a helicopter to move the bear to a remote location.
“He was heavy, so one officer had to get out of the chopper so we could take off,” Miller said. The officer followed in a second helicopter.
The bear has been moved to an unpopulated area, with an active salmon run.
“It’s a ideal time of year to move a bear like this,” he explained. “You do need to pick a place without a human population, but with a good source of food and water.”
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