Bear on Gabriola?
Somebody has seen a bear down at Twin Beaches, GROWLS says. So, hmmm. If you’re heading down to Taylor Bay, Pilot Bay, or anywhere near there, you might want to be a little more alert than you might otherwise be.
And of course that bear could be anywhere on Gabriola by now, or might have already pushed off to head for another island.
If anything on your property might seem like a food source to a bear (meat, fish, birdseed, fruit, garbage) then you might want to make some changes. I’ve seen what two bears did with a bottle of fish-fertilizer intended for the garden, and it was pretty extreme.
If you hear a bell jingling in the woods today, it’ll be me with bear bells on my pack.
(The bear photo here is a cropped version of this photo, which was taken by Traveler100 and licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.)
Update/see also: How to avoid a bear attack.
Filed in Gabriola Island,wildlife 30 Comments so far
30 Responses to “Bear on Gabriola?”
GG on 08 May 2012 at 10:10 am #
Yikes!
Mats on 09 May 2012 at 1:26 pm #
How did you find out about that? I couldn’t find anything about it the Growls website…
Gabriolan on 09 May 2012 at 1:52 pm #
Mats – I got a whole lot of email about it. :-)
Ben Finn on 09 May 2012 at 2:10 pm #
The bears just swim over from other islands? Is this is a common thing?
Excuse my gobsmacked expression. I had no idea bears did that.
nick on 09 May 2012 at 3:55 pm #
Hiking the 707 today I saw on a side trail on the west side something that looked a lot like black bear scat to me. Full of seeds and grasses. No more than a couple of days old. I looked around for a bit, but there were too many deer trails going off in different directions. Found what might have been a single claw mark in the mud, but by itself I wouldn’t think that was very good evidence. A bear looking for food would have left a lot more traces and more than one pile of scat I think. Still…
Gabriolan on 09 May 2012 at 3:59 pm #
I heard a scary noise in the woods today, and was a bit startled for a moment. Then I realized it was the dog, hacking something up behind me. :-)
I’ve seen piles that look like black bear scat, too, in the Kensington Lands. But I haven’t seen any tracks, so, hmmm. Surely there would be lots of tracks if a bear were about, yes?
Gabriolan on 09 May 2012 at 4:08 pm #
Ben Finn – bears do indeed swim from island to island. It’s faster than taking the ferry. ;-)
nick on 09 May 2012 at 4:56 pm #
Bears often do a lot of digging too. I agree, just one pile of scat definitely isn’t enough evidence.
maryann on 10 May 2012 at 10:55 am #
We live up near “the legends”. The morning after we heard about the bear sighting at Twin Beaches we awoke to find our gas BBQ knocked on it’s side, our suet feeder ripped apart, our prayer flags shredded and a huge pile of scat. Any other news out there?
deb on 10 May 2012 at 11:44 am #
The other day, a conservation officer made it over, not sure what he did. I know that the school kids were warned and some kids are now are toting pepper spray, but its kept at the office until schools out. I also know that folks have seen scat in the orchards up by berrry point. There is a FB discussion and if anything new happens, I will let you guys know.
My husband and daughter thought they saw footprints by twin beaches…hard to say though until some pictures come in, though the conservation officer and the note that went around( ken capons email list) seemed to think the witness was credible and the occurence likely.
so we all need to keep our food locked up, our pic-a-nic baskets safe and our eyes and ears open to this. Chances are the bear will leave once he realizes food isnt all that plentiful.
Mats on 10 May 2012 at 2:19 pm #
Look here: http://www.soundernews.com/news/bear-sighted-on-gabriola.html
It seems pretty much confirmed.
Gabriolan on 10 May 2012 at 8:58 pm #
Take your camera when you head into the woods, Mats, and then maybe you’ll be the one to provide us with a photo of Mr or Ms Bear.
Gabriolan on 12 May 2012 at 6:25 pm #
So I hear the bear was seen on Ferne Road today.
cheryl on 12 May 2012 at 7:12 pm #
My doggy and I were walking alone today in the Kensington lands, doggy stopped at one point and didn’t move a muscle for a good min. staring into the bush I didn’t hear anything but she sure must have then she started to growl a deep concentrated growl which she never ever does.
We were quite alone I decided it would be best to go off in a different direction. Might have been nothing but she sure was concerned.
Mats on 12 May 2012 at 7:19 pm #
Holy moly! I ran up and down Ferne Road today. Didn’t see the bear, and didn’t carry my camera either ;)
Gabriolan on 12 May 2012 at 10:50 pm #
Are you a fast runner, Mats? ;-)
Listen, I know you’re out in the wooded areas quite frequently. If you see a bear and don’t have your camera with you, you’ll be letting down the side. We’re counting on you!
Gabriolan on 12 May 2012 at 10:53 pm #
It is alarming when the dog does that, isn’t it? My dog did that once in the 707 – she seemed convinced that a huge monster was stalking us. It was in the winter just after a cougar had been seen on the island, so I was unnerved.
TJ on 13 May 2012 at 9:59 am #
When i was driving down Honeysuckle Ln the other day I thought I saw a fairly large blackish animal in the shrubbery just off the road near the stop sign, i got to the end of the road, came back and when i looked around the animal was gone..it could of just been a dog, but i thought i would let you guys know.
Alexander on 13 May 2012 at 11:30 am #
Really?! i live right by Honeysuckle and i ride my bike down there everyday! its scary to know there could of been a bear watching me as i ride down there..
nick on 16 May 2012 at 6:23 pm #
Well I have to report that I just walked some rarely used trails on the 707 and I saw no sign of a bear. Really! Just how boring can a walk in the forest (sorry park) get?
I propose that the GAC be asked to paint a few cardboard cut-out bears and cougars to put in the bush so that we have something to photograph and blog about. Oh! Better make that marine plywood, not cardboard. I’m sure my dog would just get into the habit of peeing on them.
Gabriolan on 16 May 2012 at 6:54 pm #
Nick – well, some days you send us fascinating stuff, and other days we have to content ourselves talking about boring ol’ bears. Such is life.
Alexander on 16 May 2012 at 6:58 pm #
Where is the 707 again ? & ive done a lot of “off trail” hiking these past few days in the forest at the end of Jeanette Ave and i havent seen anything, it could be off the island by now, or its just doing a good job of hiding from us, & i admit that would be cool to put some cut outs of bears in the trails…it would sure get people talking over here.
Alexander on 16 May 2012 at 7:07 pm #
I just relized how stupid i sounded….the 707 is the area up by Jeanette isnt it..
Gabriolan on 16 May 2012 at 9:01 pm #
Alexander – the 707 is quite large, but you’re right – one entrance is at the end of Jeanette.
Gabriolan on 16 May 2012 at 9:05 pm #
A correspondent this evening reports that the bear has dined on two South Road beehives.
Wendy on 20 May 2012 at 11:27 am #
We had the bear on our Pat Burns property last night …ripped apart two bird feeders and decimated the suet holder. The ‘animal proof” garbage can was completely squished which popped off the lid. There is a huge pile of seed-studded scat in our driveway
Gabriolan on 20 May 2012 at 9:13 pm #
Wendy – thank you so much for this report. I love hearing where that bear has gotten to – partly so I can then go t’other way! I suppose birdseed and suet is a prize find for a bear.
E.L. on 21 May 2012 at 11:37 pm #
Just had a visit from the bear about an hour ago here on Violet Crescent. It’s kind of fat looking. I guess Gabriola is turning out to be a pretty good meal ticket.
Gabriolan on 23 May 2012 at 8:56 pm #
E.L. – thanks for the bear update. I don’t suppose you were able to get a photo…?
Gabriolan on 27 May 2012 at 6:31 pm #
Some friends report seeing the bear at the top of Coats last night.