Grisly grizzly discovery in the Upper Squamish The corpse of a 450 pound grizzly bear was found floating in Shovelnose Creek last week — dead as the result of a single gunshot. Squamish Conservation Officers and concerned local residents are hunting for the killer of the mature male bear that was well known to locals and forestry workers. "This bear is one of three that has been frequenting the Upper Squamish Valley for the past decade," says Conservation Officer Dan LeGrandeur. "People around the area knew the bear and are very concerned about the killing." The grizzly, which was 15-20 years old, was killed late last week. An autopsy revealed no parts of the bear had been removed. The bear may have been shot on the road and then bolted to the creek where it died. "From all of the evidence we were able to gather at the scene the bear was not shot in self defence," he says. "This was an extremely large bear for the area, it would be hard for a hunter to mistake this grizzly for a black bear." Black bears can be hunted during a fall opening, but grizzly's are protected. Killing a grizzly carries a $10,000 fine, LeGrandeur says. Anyone with information regarding the grizzly shooting, which occurred at Mile 31 of the Squamish Valley Road, can call the Conservation Office at 1-800-663-9453.
