A video posted on social media of two grizzly bears attacking each other on a B.C. highway has gone viral.
The rare footage, posted by Cari McGillivray on Facebook Friday, shows the two bears growling at each other, apparently on Cassiar Highway near Stewart in northwestern B.C. Here is the video.
The bears are then seen battling each other on their hind legs as they move across the highway.
As of Saturday, the Facebook post had 1.3 million shares.
“Don’t normally post on here but thought I’d share this incredibly rare and amazing moment with all you guys of these grizzlies fighting! Keep a sharp eye out for the little wolf that is observing them in the distance,” writes McGillivray.
One Facebook user wrote: “The bears fighting AND a wolf in the background. Highly rare capture.”
Meantime, conservation officers say there were a record number of calls related to conflicts between humans and bears this spring.
Chris Doyle, deputy chief B.C. conservation officer, says there were 3,826 calls relating to black bears and 182 calls for grizzly bears this April and May.
He says those figures are the highest in eight years, and compare with the annual seasonal average, which is 2,400 calls for black bears and 82 for grizzlies.
Conservation officers urge residents to properly secure anything that could draw bears into residential neighbourhoods and close to humans. Those items include garbage, fruit trees, bird feeders, barbecues, livestock and high-value fruit tree crops.
— With a file from Stephanie Ip
