Image Credit: Northern Lights Wildlife Society

By Mel Rothenburger

Armchair Mayor

ROTHENBURGER: When it comes to bears, we humans are a bag of contradictions

Sep 2, 2023 | 7:39 AM

STEWARDSHIP IS SUCH a positive sounding word. When used in connection with wildlife, it gives the impression of caring and protection.

That’s what it means to some people but others define it differently — as the supervision and management of species. That’s a different ball of wax. The provincial government recently released a draft “stewardship framework” for B.C.’s grizzly bear population. It has a lot of conservationists worried that it could open the door to a return of licenced grizzly bear hunting, which was banned in 2017. (First Nations are still allowed to hunt grizzlies for food, social or ceremonial purposes.)

Licenced public hunting of grizzlies is trophy hunting. The bears are shot so someone can have them stuffed or made into rugs, not for their meat.

Our relationship with wildlife, especially bears, is a strange incongruity. Many humans will go to considerable lengths to rescue them and rehabilitate them when they’re threatened by natural disaster or loss of habitat but others think killing them with high-powered rifles is great fun.

Let me give you an example of the first approach. The Shuswap wildfire has had a devastating effect on wildlife, and B.C. conservation officers have been a constant presence since the Bush Creek East wildfire raged into the area.

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A tiny black bear cub was one of the victims. Black bears aren’t endangered in B.C. and, unlike grizzlies, are still hunted for sport. They’re regarded as being more tolerant of humans but a big black bear is nothing to fool with. (Anyone who has chanced upon a full-grown black bear can attest to that.)

Nevertheless, they’re a species we admire. This particular cub was orphaned and its feet were quite badly burned. Spotted near Squilax, it became the subject of a rescue effort by the Conservation Officer Service in co-operation with the Skwlāx te Secwepemcúl̓ecw/ Little Shuswap Lake Band.

A sibling had suffered severe injuries and had to be put down. The mother was never seen and is believed to have died in the fire. The surviving cub was soon captured and began its journey to Smithers, where the Northern Lights Wildlife Society has an amazing facility for orphaned wildlife including bears.

Sunday morning, my daughter Kelly and I picked up the cub in Barnhartvale, loaded its special crate into the back of my pickup truck and headed for Williams Lake, where we transferred it to another volunteer. We referred to our passenger as Baby Bear, though it will receive a more official name. Kelly has made several such trips, one of which I was part of this past spring with a cub named Little John.

Bear cubs from our area are frequently saved from starvation and the ill effects of being orphaned, and driven to Smithers by volunteers who take on various parts of the journey. (Turns out that today we’re driving a relay for another Shuswap bear cub, possibly a second sibling of Baby Bear.)

During last Sunday’s road trip, the contradiction between the kindness and compassion we humans extend to the animal kingdom and, on the other hand, our ill-treatment of animals for our own purposes, came strongly to mind.

Which brings us back to the report on B.C.’s grizzly bears. My impression reading the draft report is that the concern about it is that while it doesn’t outright advocate for a return of licenced grizzly bear hunting it doesn’t reinforce the hunting ban and “leaves the door open.”

One phrase stands out. It contemplates what would have to be done “should licenced hunting be considered in future.” It also notes that closing the licenced hunt created economic hardships for outfitters who guided hunters to the bears.

Trophy hunting is a distasteful “sport” regardless of the target but killing grizzlies for bragging rights is particularly offensive. They’re considered a “species of special concern” by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada.

As the new draft report says, “The name ‘grizzly bear’ elicits profound emotions from people around the world. The species is often paired with terms like ‘iconic,’ ‘apex predator,’ ‘umbrella species,’ ‘teacher,’ ‘powerful,’ and ‘ancestor.’” The framework is out for a public input survey until Sept. 8; the original deadline was Aug. 18 but complaints about a very short response period resulted in an extension.

Conservationists aren’t totally critical of the draft framework. They say it’s a good basis for further development of grizzly bear policy but misses the mark on hunting.

One more bear story. The Northern Lights society recently released two grizzly bears, named Moon and Star, it had looked after.

According to Angelika Langen of the society, the two female grizzlies arrived at the shelter last June and became strongly bonded. The day eventually came to take them to a release site, which was a challenge to access.

“While Starr had endured the long trip with calm, Moon had raged against the confinement and separation from her friend. The traps were placed side by side and once remotely opened Star was quick to emerge, but then quickly stopped to wait for Moon.

“What we all got to witness then was touching and heartwarming, as the two bears touched noses and hugged before exploring their new home in tandem. Our hearts could not have been happier with the end of this release.”

Since then, Langen says, monitoring shows the bears have stayed together and are in good condition.

Compare this with whatever dirtball shot a tagged, relocated grizzly bear near Squamish last month and dragged it into the Squamish River with a rope apparently in hopes of disposing of the evidence. The bear had been living there for the past three years, according to the Conservation Office.

Some people are thrilled and feel honoured to witness the wonders of nature; others want to destroy it. We humans are a bag of contradictions; our individual views of stewardship included.

Mel Rothenburger is a regular contributor to CFJC Today, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a recipient of the Jack Webster Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award. He has served as mayor of Kamloops, school board chair and TNRD director, and is a retired daily newspaper editor. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.

Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.