Conservation Officer Service destroyed 25 black bears in the Kootenay region in 2025, a nearly 50 per cent decrease from the previous year, in line with a provincewide trend. Nelson once again saw the most bears killed in the region, with three – a significant drop from the eight recorded in 2024. Provincially, the conservation service said 178 bears were dispatched and 33 were euthanized. The BC Conservation Officer Service also received just 13,000 black bear calls to its RAPP line in 2025 – the lowest number recorded since 2011. “While it’s encouraging to see the number of bears dispatched continue to trend downward, we know that many conflicts are preventable,” said BCCOS Chief Cam Schley.