Grizzly Bear. Brown Bear. An ominivore (often referred to as a meat eater), endangered (or at least a species of concern in areas where they are still “common”) and seen as dangerous. No discussion about grizzlies is simple or straight forward. Ursus arctos is known as grizzly bear in Western Canada and across the top of the globe as brown bear. Grizzlies are an iconic symbol of wilderness even as some have become a nuisance eating chickens and garbage near homes.
This summer a grizzly bear was seen in Kokanee Creek Provincial Park, British Columbia for the first time in twenty years. It had turned up to eat the spawning Kokanee Salmon. Grizzlies are seen in the area, but this sighting in the provincial park was noteworthy. While the bear was carefully monitored to protect campers at the park and in the surrounding communities, it was also welcome in the park as part of a functional ecosystem.
This young male grizzly was not great at fishing but there was dead fish to eat and he eventually mastered catching fish. Just try catching fish with your mouth! The video below shows the bear fishing and the second video shows it actually catching a Kokanee Salmon.
So much credit is due to several for making this season with a grizzly in the park a success. BC Parks managed the human traffic and closed off areas of the spawning channel for the exclusive use of wildlife. The park staff monitored both campers and bears while the Conservation Officer Service worked with all agencies and the surrounding community to keep this bear out of trouble. And the bear, well… the bear behaved like any bear near fish. He fished.
I wonder if any grizzlies will show up at the park this season. I hope so, and I hope that our human community continues to value ecosystems that still support grizzlies.
all photos, videos and text are copyright J.A. Siderius, 2019. Check out my photos on Siderius Photos
Grizzly Bear at Kokanee Creek Provincial Park, B. C.
