Grizzly sighted outside of Quesnel

A community member from Quesnel had quite a startle when stopping at a campsite just out of town.

The person posted on community social media groups that while they were at a campsite on Honolulu Road, around 90 kilometres west of Quesnel along the Nazko Highway, they saw and were approached by a grizzly bear.

The person says they saw the bear another time near the bridges along the highway, closer to town.

They said talking loudly and making noises didn’t deter the bear, and the bear did not seem afraid of people.

Conservation Officer Justin Millett says BC Conservation has seen similar reports and is aware of the grizzly in the area, but has had no reports of conflict from the grizzly or any bears near Quesnel.

“We are in grizzly bear country; however, sightings seem to be rarer than, say, black bears,” Millet says.

“What it comes down to is the proactive measures that people are taking to prevent that conflict to begin with. Make sure that coolers are stored within a locked vehicle. If you do see a bear, maintain your distance as best you can. Make some noise to make sure it knows that you’re there.”

Millett says the person who saw the bear did the right thing by making noise and backing up until they were safer in their vehicle. He recommends that everyone who sees a bear use similar tactics to stay safe.

“We are in black bear country, we are in grizzly bear country, so it’s safe to assume that if we are out in the Cariboo, in the wilderness, that there’s some kind of bear around. What it comes down to is the bear’s behaviour.”

Millett says a good place for resources on how to be more bear aware and prevent conflicts with wildlife is the WildSafe BC website. There are resources on mitigation strategies for grizzly and black bears, cougars, as well as other wildlife, by region of the province.

The BC Conservation Office asks anyone to report any sightings, incidents, no matter how small, or conflicts with wildlife and grizzlies to the RAPP line at 1-877-952-7277.