Along the British Columbia coast, grizzly bears are on the move! 

Driven by their natural curiosity and the 20-plus years of conservation efforts, which include habitat protection and connectivity, coexistence measures, and public awareness campaigns, grizzly bear populations in SW BC are showing signs of recovery. (Hunting of grizzlies has been closed in SW BC long before the hunt ended in 2018 due to conservation concerns, so their expansion has little to do with the end of the hunt.) However, the impacts of the climate crisis, such as forest fires and food security, are also affecting grizzlies, who have recently been showing up in unfamiliar places – raising questions about coexistence, conservation, and community safety.

Recently, we've been captivated by the remarkable journey of one such bear—a young male who traversed through dense forests, swam across the Salish Sea, and arrived alone on Texada Island. Now known as Tex, his unique journey has sparked debate, concern and a renewed focus on how we coexist with grizzlies.

Grizzlies, with their power, playfulness, intelligence, and curiosity, have historically roamed vast territories across North America. Despite the reduction of their range due to colonization and the movement west of settlers, they have shown remarkable resilience. Currently, they are limited to the Yellowstone to Yukon corridor, British Columbia and Alaska, across First Nations and Tribal territories. This resilience gives us hope for their future. 

Curious, however, there is no natural history record of their presence on Vancouver Island–the largest island on the west coast of North America and roughly the size of Belgium or Taiwan. And is significantly larger than states like Vermont, Connecticut, or Massachusetts. 

But that's changing. Scientific findings from the Spirit Bear Research Foundation and Raincoast Conservation Foundation have revealed the presence of resident grizzly bears on islands within the territory of the Kitasoo Xai'xais Nation in the Great Bear Rainforest. Moreover, recent photographic evidence has confirmed the presence of a mama grizzly and her two cubs on north Vancouver Island, following years of sightings of lone grizzlies. 

Enter Tex - the most recent and perhaps most talked-about grizzly bear on the move. Tex is a young male who explored Gibson, Sechelt and Pender Harbour in 2024 along the Sunshine Coast in the swiya–the world birthplace and territory of the shishalh Nation. He was relocated twice in 2024 by the BC Conservation Officer Service in coordination with the shishalh Nation.

After waking up from hibernation just a few months ago, Tex is once again on the move and is currently exploring Texada Island, the largest of the Gulf Islands. Texada Island, at 300 km², lies just off the Sunshine Coast and is home to approximately 1,200 permanent residents on the shared territory of the shishalh and Tla'amin Nations. 

Tex's story serves as a crucial case study in the complexities of coexisting with wildlife. It underscores the pivotal roles of provincial policies, Indigenous leadership, and community voices in shaping the future for this young bear and others like him. 

Over the past few weeks, the Grizzly Bear Foundation has been working behind the scenes to support a First Nations-led approach to translocate Tex and give him another chance at life in the wild. We have also been working with the Fur Bearers to secure funding to support any possible translocation efforts.

We have also been working with the Province of BC as part of our 'A New Approach to Living with Bears in BC' initiative. This year-long independent expert-driven study aims to better understand how provincial policies and procedures balance community safety with conservation efforts and the welfare of individual bears, such as Tex. 

Next week, we'll be releasing a second GrizzCast Dispatches, to share more about our behind the scenes work as well as, in-depth interviews with First Nations leaders, Conservation Officers and experts in the field on how to create better outcomes for grizzlies on the move and what’s next for Tex.

BLOG POST WRITTEN BY NICHOLAS SCAPILLATI

PHOTO BY GLOBE & MAIL