Conservation

British Columbia Conservation reminds people to remove attractants in urban areas and to keep their distance when spotting wildlife. (Photo courtesy of Jill Hayward)

BC Conservation, Saanich police warn residents after bear sightings near Elk Lake

Residents reminded to bring garbage, food in, keep their distance from bears

British Columbia Conservation reminds people to remove attractants in urban areas and to keep their distance when spotting wildlife. (Photo courtesy of Jill Hayward)
A free concert happening July 9 next to the south campus of Lansdowne Middle School will feature Indigenous poet Tanisha Nuttall, jazzist David Santana and vocalist Myriam Parent. (Photo courtesy of Friends of Bowker Creek)

Free Friday concert: Saanich school hosts Bowker Creek friends event

Summer concert series starting July 9 serves as fundraiser, educational opportunity

A free concert happening July 9 next to the south campus of Lansdowne Middle School will feature Indigenous poet Tanisha Nuttall, jazzist David Santana and vocalist Myriam Parent. (Photo courtesy of Friends of Bowker Creek)
Keneesha Bordian was surprised to walk into her south Port Alberni backyard and spot a cougar seeking shade underneath a hedge. (PHOTO COURTESY KENEESHA BORDIAN)

Cougar spotted lounging under cedar hedge in Port Alberni neighbourhood

WildSafe BC cautions people to keep small pets indoors, supervise kids outdoors

Keneesha Bordian was surprised to walk into her south Port Alberni backyard and spot a cougar seeking shade underneath a hedge. (PHOTO COURTESY KENEESHA BORDIAN)
Gates Creek, 274-acres of land now in trust with the Nature Conservancy of Canada. (Nature Conservancy)

New conservancy will protect 274-acre corridor B.C. grizzly bears use to meet, mingle

Maintaining connectivity between Stein-Nahatlatch and South Chilcotin grizzly populations essential for species’ survival

Gates Creek, 274-acres of land now in trust with the Nature Conservancy of Canada. (Nature Conservancy)
New research suggests wolves can be steered away from the endangered caribou herds they prey on by making the man-made trails they use to hunt harder to move along. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

Culling cutlines, not B.C. wolves, key to preserving caribou herds: researcher

The government has turned to killing hundreds of wolves in an effort to keep caribou around

New research suggests wolves can be steered away from the endangered caribou herds they prey on by making the man-made trails they use to hunt harder to move along. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
The B.C. Conservation Officer Service set up a live trap on Ben McGuffie’s property on Quadra Island. Photo courtesy Ben McGuffie

Quadra Island farmer throws rock at grizzly to protect goats

Conservation Officers asking people to call RAPP number immediately if they see the bear

The B.C. Conservation Officer Service set up a live trap on Ben McGuffie’s property on Quadra Island. Photo courtesy Ben McGuffie
Camper Sanjay Srivastava had an unsettling discovery near the Big Bay recreation site last week. Photo courtesy Google Maps

Camper finds decapitated bear carcass west of Campbell River

‘I just wanted to do right for the bear which I believe was the mother of a young cub.’ — Camper

Camper Sanjay Srivastava had an unsettling discovery near the Big Bay recreation site last week. Photo courtesy Google Maps
A group of Coquitlam golfers was interrupted on Tuesday, May 25, 2021, by a black bear who bit a player's ball and tossed it back towards the group. (Screen grab/Mark Pettie)

VIDEO: ‘Seriously annoyed’ black bear tosses ball, interrupts B.C. golfers

‘If the bears are chasing golf balls at least they are not chasing golfers,’ says Sgt. Todd Hunter, a B.C. conservation officer

A group of Coquitlam golfers was interrupted on Tuesday, May 25, 2021, by a black bear who bit a player's ball and tossed it back towards the group. (Screen grab/Mark Pettie)
Brandi Hansen said she was disheartened to find dozens of severed, declawed bear paws dumped in a culvert alongside a North Shuswap road on Sunday, May 23, 2021. (Contributed)

B.C. First Nations condemn those responsible for bear paws dumped near Shuswap Lake

Union of BC Indian Chiefs says poachers likely responsible

Brandi Hansen said she was disheartened to find dozens of severed, declawed bear paws dumped in a culvert alongside a North Shuswap road on Sunday, May 23, 2021. (Contributed)
A black bear, dubbed Huckleberry by Deep Cove, B.C., residents died on July 31, 2020, after becoming conditioned to food and humans. (North Shore Black Bear Society photo)

Fewer dead bears, more fines: Advocates call for B.C. conservation officer reform

B.C. Bear Alliance wants to see body cameras on conservation officers after more than 600 black bears were killed this past year

A black bear, dubbed Huckleberry by Deep Cove, B.C., residents died on July 31, 2020, after becoming conditioned to food and humans. (North Shore Black Bear Society photo)
The conservation service confirmed they do not relocate cougars from settled areas but that euthanasia is not necessarily the fate for an animal in the Fanny Bay area. The hope is that the animal will move on to wild areas. (File photo)

Woman hopes cat-stalking Fanny Bay cougar can avoid euthanization

Conservation officers do not relocate the animals from Vancouver Island

The conservation service confirmed they do not relocate cougars from settled areas but that euthanasia is not necessarily the fate for an animal in the Fanny Bay area. The hope is that the animal will move on to wild areas. (File photo)
Current habitat pressures to Vancouver Island salmon are shown on the Pacific Salmon Foundation’s explorer tool. Red areas are high risk, yellow are moderate and green are low risk. Photo courtesy Pacific Salmon Foundation, Pacific Salmon Explorer.

Data-driven salmon tool helps conservation planning on the B.C. coast

Habitat pressures, population status and overview all part of interactive mapping tool

Current habitat pressures to Vancouver Island salmon are shown on the Pacific Salmon Foundation’s explorer tool. Red areas are high risk, yellow are moderate and green are low risk. Photo courtesy Pacific Salmon Foundation, Pacific Salmon Explorer.
Biologist Connie Miller-Retzer will discuss the latest knowledge gained from studies of the western painted turtle – the last remaining turtle species native to Vancouver Island, which also makes its home in Nanaimos lakes and marshes – in an upcoming free webinar hosted by Nanaimo and Area Land Trust. (Photo courtesy Lynda Stevens)

Island researchers launch probe into endangered painted turtles

Rare sub-species threatened by development in central Vancouver Island region

Biologist Connie Miller-Retzer will discuss the latest knowledge gained from studies of the western painted turtle – the last remaining turtle species native to Vancouver Island, which also makes its home in Nanaimos lakes and marshes – in an upcoming free webinar hosted by Nanaimo and Area Land Trust. (Photo courtesy Lynda Stevens)
Contents from a tailings pond is pictured going down the Hazeltine Creek into Quesnel Lake near the town of Likely, B.C. on Aug. 5, 2014. (Photo by Jonathan Hayward)

New map details potential environmental threats from B.C. mines

Map editors pressure province to move faster on regulation reforms

Contents from a tailings pond is pictured going down the Hazeltine Creek into Quesnel Lake near the town of Likely, B.C. on Aug. 5, 2014. (Photo by Jonathan Hayward)
A Pacific great blue heron preys on a juvenile salmon in Cowichan Bay. A new study out of UBC suggests the birds removed between three and six per cent of the young fish every year from the Salish Sea region. (Photo supplied by Robert Stenseth)

Blue herons identified as a significant predator of B.C.’s juvenile salmon

Surprising UBC findings may actually be beneficial to stability of salmon populations

A Pacific great blue heron preys on a juvenile salmon in Cowichan Bay. A new study out of UBC suggests the birds removed between three and six per cent of the young fish every year from the Salish Sea region. (Photo supplied by Robert Stenseth)
The first of Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s long-range maritime patrol aircraft—the Dash-8—becomes operational. (Photo supplied by PAL Aerospace) Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s new De Havilland Dash-8-100 long-range surveillance air craft is capable of staying aloft for eight to 10 hours for a variety of missions up and down the B.C. coast. (Photo supplied by PAL Aerospace)

New Island-based plane will double DFO’s surveillance capacity in B.C.

The Dash-8 will fly out of Campbell River for enforcement, conservation missions

The first of Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s long-range maritime patrol aircraft—the Dash-8—becomes operational. (Photo supplied by PAL Aerospace) Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s new De Havilland Dash-8-100 long-range surveillance air craft is capable of staying aloft for eight to 10 hours for a variety of missions up and down the B.C. coast. (Photo supplied by PAL Aerospace)
Black bear cubs Athena and Jordan look on from their enclosure at the North Island Wildlife Recovery Association in Errington, B.C., on July 8, 2015. Conservation Officer Bryce Casavant won the hearts of animal lovers when he opted not to shoot the baby bears in July after their mother was destroyed for repeatedly raiding homes near Port Hardy, B.C. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito

B.C. conservation officer who refused to kill 2 bear cubs still fighting to return to work

‘This is way beyond two bear cubs at this time.’

Black bear cubs Athena and Jordan look on from their enclosure at the North Island Wildlife Recovery Association in Errington, B.C., on July 8, 2015. Conservation Officer Bryce Casavant won the hearts of animal lovers when he opted not to shoot the baby bears in July after their mother was destroyed for repeatedly raiding homes near Port Hardy, B.C. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito
RCMP Cpl. Dan Jinda, BC Parks Ranger Jamie Godfrey and BCCOS officer Steve Petrovcic near Mt. Washington on Jan. 24. Photo supplied by BCCOS.

Compliance check at Mt. Washington reveals most snowmobilers lacking

One in twelve riders fully compliant at January check

RCMP Cpl. Dan Jinda, BC Parks Ranger Jamie Godfrey and BCCOS officer Steve Petrovcic near Mt. Washington on Jan. 24. Photo supplied by BCCOS.
Calf L125, seen with mother L86, appears to be in good physical condition. (Photo by Dave Ellifrit/Center for Whale Research)

Researchers confirm new southern resident orca calf

L125 the first baby born to L Pod since January 2019

Calf L125, seen with mother L86, appears to be in good physical condition. (Photo by Dave Ellifrit/Center for Whale Research)
A pair of cheetahs from the facility are settling in well after recently making the multi-day journey from Quebec’s Parc Safari to the Imire wildlife sanctuary in Zimbabwe. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson

‘Already starting to act like wild cheetahs’: Canadian-born pair to be released in Zimbabwe wilderness

A rare ‘rewilding’ project has conservationists hoping for the future of the cheetah species

A pair of cheetahs from the facility are settling in well after recently making the multi-day journey from Quebec’s Parc Safari to the Imire wildlife sanctuary in Zimbabwe. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson