It's time to learn to live alongside grizzlies on Vancouver Island, expert says

cross-posted from: /c/VancouverIsland

Historically, the Island has not been considered a year-round habitat for grizzlies, although some bears will occasionally swim over from the mainland in the summer, says Nick Scapillati, executive director with the Grizzly Bear Foundation.

But sightings of the mom and her cubs goes back to 2024 and Scapillati says that due to the small size of the cubs, they wouldn’t have been able to swim over. He believes it could be evidence of the first ever grizzly cubs to be born on Vancouver Island — a sign that grizzlies could be wintering on the Island.