Bears, cougars and wolves: CRD pilot project captures carnivore count
Published 5:30 am Saturday, January 31, 2026
The Capital Regional District has a horde of images and videos it plans to share with the public this summer, gathered as part of its pilot program to monitor wildlife in a trio of parks.
The CRD large carnivore monitoring program, started in January 2025, gathered data on bears, cougars and wolves in East Sooke, Matheson Lake and Roche Cove parks. The three were selected as a connected landscape of “high value habitat,” staff explained, presenting its information to the Parks Committee on Jan. 29.
The pilot project gathered information using cameras, community and staff observations, track and sign surveys with a goal to identify key wildlife habitat features and seasonal use to information park planning, management and future conservation priorities.
“The large carnivore monitoring pilot project provides valuable data confirming the consistent presence of black bears, cougars, and grey wolves in East Sooke, Matheson Lake, and Roche Cove regional parks,” staff said in its information report to the parks committee. “These findings reinforce the need to integrate wildlife considerations into park planning and visitor management. Continued monitoring and collaboration will strengthen conservation efforts, support visitor experience, and enhance the resilience of regional parks in the face of climate change.”
The pilot yielded 112 bear observations, 44 cougar observations and 28 wolf observations, confirming consistent presences in all three parks. Roche Cove documented the most activity, but also featured 15 of the 23 cameras in play.
The information revealed the types of habitat being used, and importantly for management and user-safety, how those uses intersect with recreation in the three popular parks.
All iterations were in forests, primarily within a riparian or wetland habitat. It identified five bear dens, three potential travel corridors for cougars and one for wolves. The data shows high recreational trail overlap with bears, less so with cougars, and very little overlap with wolves.
The latest information arms staff and partnering groups such as the BC Conservation Officer Service, local First Nations and community groups with higher level options for management. The CRD also plans to launch a social media campaign, using the information and images collected, to engage residents and park users come spring.
One concern flagged during the meeting came from director Maya Tait, also mayor of Sooke, who was happy to see wolves included as “a keystone predator with significant value.”
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She reminded the committee of a 2020 backlash in the community against wolves – which do not have the same protection as other animals.
“There are members of the public that still wish to cull and murder these animals. So how do we deal with protection from an advocacy piece, as opposed to leading these animals, or exposing them to, what will otherwise be a death sentence?” she asked staff.
The CRD would not specifically locate an animal for the public, but continue current practices to mitigate potential human-wildlife conflict. That includes park signage, public communications, interpretive programming and ranger patrols to ensure park visitors secure food attractants, stay on trail and keep dogs on leash in designated areas. Insights from this study will inform future actions to ensure compatibility with conservation goals.
The plan is to expand the project this year, in coordination with partner UVic, to install 55 more cameras in a standardized grid across the three parks.
Monitoring confirms the ecological importance of regional parks, identifies areas that need enhanced conservation and guides future park planning and management. Traditional First Nations ecological knowledge has not yet been incorporated in the project, with CRD staff continuing to seek respectful and equitable opportunities for knowledge sharing.
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Email: christine.vanreeuwyk@blackpress.ca
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