The Lil'wat Nation has issued new information regarding the events leading up to the shooting of two grizzlies on Lil'wat territory earlier this week.
According to the release, the grizzlies were shot because of safety concerns. They ate livestock and the Nation said their scat contained household garbage, making it unlikely the grizzlies would leave the area.
The grizzlies repeatedly returned to the same property, making their way onto the porch. The property owners attempted to scare them away with loud noises but "the bears' behaviour remained unafraid," the Nation said, adding they were shot by a community member in "a close encounter." The community member had repeatedly asked for help with the situation from the community and the Conservation Officer Service (COS) prior to shooting the grizzlies.
The Nation also said prior to the shooting, the COS held an emergency meeting and recommended destroying the male grizzly and collaring and relocating the female to Pemberton Meadows, where her two half-siblings live.
The COS did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“Our community is grieving the loss of these spectacular animals,” said Skalúlmecw Chief Dean Nelson. "We hope that by disclosing this additional information, we can help the community gain a better understanding of the situation and assist in the healing process following this loss."
The Nation said they repeatedly contacted the COS requesting action because of concerns the bears were unafraid of humans, and worked with Coast to Cascades (C2C) on hazing. The Nation and C2C are not authorized to take action during close encounters.
“The Líl̓wat Nation hopes to continue to work together with Coast to Cascades,” said Nelson. “It’s strongly recommended that community members learn more about the programs Coast to Cascades has in place that can help remove attractants from yards and learn more about finding ways to coexist with our bear kin. We all have a responsibility to recreating a balance in our relationship to the bears of our area.”
Pique initially reported the death occurred Nov. 4, but the COS said the shooting occurred on Sunday, Nov. 3. On Nov. 4, Lil'wat posted on Facebook that the grizzlies were shot and given a ceremony before burial, but did not provide a date.
In an email to Pique on Nov. 6, prior to Lil'wat releasing the additional details, the COS said it was in contact with Lil'wat Nation officials to understand the circumstances leading up to the grizzlies' death and that officials are not able to provide further comment until discussions with the Nation are complete.
Pique has reached out to Chief Nelson for further information and will update this story as necessary. Readers can access the full release from Lil'wat Nation here.
Pemberton's Mayor Mike Richman told Pique Nov. 6 the Village is discussing allocating funding for a wildlife safety coordinator to educate the public on how to prevent conflict with bears after the incident.
"We're looking at sharing that with Area C [of the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District]. This is in addition to the conservation officers that work in the corridor. Whistler and Squamish have put some budget towards this last year," he said.
"Conservation Officers do some great work, but I feel they're stretched pretty thin. So this wildlife safety coordinator would be not so much responding to calls when there's a human/bear conflict, but more on the education and prevention side of things."
While Pemberton is not a Bear Smart certified community, it does have an attractant bylaw. However, budget constraints can make enforcement difficult, according to Richman.
"In terms of the two grizzlies, that certainly was a decision outside of the village of Pemberton, and I'd like to understand a little bit more," he said. "But I certainly respect the decision-making, knowledge and wisdom of Lil'wat Nation."
