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Bear killing animals in South Cowichan

A bear that has killed a number of animals in the Mill Bay/Cobble Hill/Cowichan Bay area in recent weeks has some residents uneasy.

Debra Taylor lives in the Meredith Road area where the latest attack by the bear killed a neighbour's goat on Sunday night.

"We just want everybody to be aware that it's getting closer and it's becoming more aggressive," she said. "I just know in the community that everybody's kind of nervous to go walking."

"I know the family," she said of her neighbours. "They have small kids."

"I just hope they're going to do something," she said of the Conservation Officer Service, which deals with wild animals seen in residential areas. "Peter Pauwels of the Conservation Officer Service confirmed the fatal attack on the goat, which took place at 7:30 p.m. The bear, which is described as a small black bear, has also killed several other goats over the last month or so, he said, in Mill Bay, Cobble Hill and Cowichan Bay.

They believe it is a single bear that is responsible for all of the attacks.

People do not have to be concerned for their own safety, he said, as the bear has tried to avoid humans. Their livestock is another story, however.

The Conservation Officer Service has tried to live trap the animal, Pauwels said, but they have so far been unsuccessful.

"We're not sure what we're going to be able to do about it," he said.

While they're likely not in danger, Pauwels said that if somebody sees this or any other bear they should "stay out of its way".

If you see a bear, you can report the sighting to Conservation Officer Service call centre at 1-800-663-9453. There is also information at wildsafebc.com



Andrea Rondeau

About the Author: Andrea Rondeau

I returned to B.C. and found myself at the Cowichan Valley Citizen.
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