This spring, an over three decade old grizzly bear named Aggie was shot unexpectedly near the Flathead River.
Wildlife Research Ecologist Bruce McLellan had been tracking Aggie since 1984, when he first collared her. But this spring, McLellan found her collar tied to a water bottle and thrown over the flat head bridge.
“Someone must have shot her,” he said. “It’s sad when they get that close to dying of old age.”
McLellan has been putting radio collars on bears in the Flathead River Valley since the 1970s. He said he began monitoring the bear population as a way of examining and managing the major limiting factors on bear’s habitat, such as oil and gas exploration and salvage logging.
The ecologist however, admits that other human interferences contribute to the decline in bear populations. In fact, since beginning his research, approximately 34 bears with active bear collars have been killed, mostly by people.
“You sort of get hardened to it,” McLellan said. “It’s really sad the number that have been shot that didn’t have to be. A lot of people think they’re threatened when they’re really not.”
He went on to say, “There’s a lot of things hunters can improve. You don’t have to shoot them usually.”
McLellan suggests carrying bear spray and making sure campsites are clean in order to reduce wildlife conflict.
Simply messages like these, McLellan said, can help prevent incidents like the shooting of Aggie.
Conservation Officer for the East Kootenay Zone, Joe Garay is asking for the public’s help in finding the individual responsible for shooting Aggie. Anyone with information is advised to call the RAPP line at 1-877-952-7277.