Port hardy locals were astonished while they observed a grizzly bear hunting for salmon in the Cluxewe River. Cody Walkus and Owen Bernard were able to capture the unique moment on their cameras while casually fishing.
Walkus explained the encounter, saying that they “just hooked up on a nice fish and he came out about 50 yards from us down the river, he was just as surprised as us. We snapped our line and tied it off on a log and went back 30 minutes after and landed our fish.” He also noted that they had come back for a third time, which is when they were able to capture the grizzly bear on footage.
Grizzly bears are not known for traveling across Queen Charlotte Strait. The species typically inhabit the mainland and around the Broughton Archipelago. Conservation officers were unaware of the incident but will investigate any reported encounters with wildlife. Please call (250) 949-2800 if you encounter a bear.
According to statistics from the province of BC, an average of 340 grizzly bears are known to have been killed by human causes each year since 1976. Most of the 340 grizzly bears were killed by hunters while a small percentage were killed by animal control officers.
Port Hardy district operates a Bear Smart Community Program, which informs locals about how to avoid interactions with bears in the community. The district encourages not to leave any potentially wildlife attractants like food discards outside properties. In the event a resident does run into a bear, the district states to “Remain calm. Think ahead. Do not run. Give the bear space. Leave the area or make a wide detour. Watch for aggressive behaviour.”