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Grizzlies that turned up in Sayward last week on the move again

Maybe they wanted to get away from the paparazzi
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Sayward’s acting mayor, Bill Ives, captured this image of the grizzly while he was out on walk. (Contributed photo)

The grizzlies that showed up in Sayward last week and caused a frenzy among shutterbugs, ultimately leading to the mayor warning people to stay away, might be on the move again.

READ MORE: After grizzly spotted in Sayward, mayor warns not to come searching for the bears

According to Gerald Whalley, regional director Of Strathcona Regional District and area representative of Kyuquot/Nootka- Sayward, the bears might be heading further North.

Whalley said that he saw facebook reports and posts from people who saw a grizzly on the highway heading north.

Although it is difficult to say if it is the same grizzly in question that turned up in Sayward, Whalley said that in the photographs that surfaced on social media, there is a notable scar near the bear’s left eye, which can be used to identify it.

Sayward’s mayor Bill Ives confirmed that the grizzlies are out of the village and have not been sighted since the Victoria Day long weekend.

There has been grizzly activity in Sayward Valley for the past couple of years, said Whalley and maintained that it’s hard to know the exact numbers of grizzlies or if they have taken up residency in the area.

Dawn Makarowski, a spokesperson from the the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, confirmed that they received reports of “at least two” grizzly bear sightings north of Campbell River.

Makarowski told the Mirror that the ministry is aware of bears appearing in the spring and disappearing in the fall, without any incident. And it still remains unclear if they hibernate on Vancouver Island or return to the mainland each fall.

Conservation Officer Service are monitoring the situation, said Makarowski.



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