How to safely coexist with grizzlies as encounters increase in Canada
A spike in grizzly bear sightings leads to question of how to coexist
In 2023, a golf course and elementary school in Whistler were temporarily shut down due to grizzly bear sightings, and these sightings have become more and more common along the Sea to Sky.
Grizzly bears were almost hunted to extinction, and then in the 1970s they were placed on the endangered species list in the U.S., and that is when things started to turn around for the bears. Now, many populations across British Columbia, in particular, are starting to recover, and experts say it will become more common to see grizzlies both in the wilderness and potentially closer to home if attractants are easily available.
In the video above, grizzly bear researcher Dr. Bruce McLellan shares some tips on how we can safely coexist with the second-largest land carnivore in North America.
(Header image courtesy of Vincent M.A. Janssen. Stock photo.)
