The Conservation Officer Service is requesting the public's assistance in their investigation to locate Jewel, a radio-collared female grizzly bear who has not been seen since October 2012 and is presumed dead.

Last year, Jewel was relocated to the Texas Creek area south of Lillooet and fitted with a radio transmission collar. As one of six females of the highly threatened Stein-Nahatalatch grizzly bear population, unique due to their genetic isolation, she is considered to be very valuable to ongoing studies.

Jewel was being monitored through a joint effort of the St'at'imc Government Services (St'at'imc First Nation), the Foothills Research Institute and the Ministry of Environment. Her last known location was in her home range south of Lillooet last October. In June of this year, Jewel's radio collar was found by a survey crew near Texas Creek. The Conservation Officer Service believes that someone illegally killed Jewel and they are now seeking the public's assistance in identifying the person/persons responsible.

If the public has any information about Jewel or the circumstances surrounding her disappearance, they are asked to call the Report all Poachers and Polluters (RAPP) line at 1-877-952-7277 or report online at http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/cos/rapp/form.htm

The BC Wildlife Federation pays rewards up to $2,000 for information leading to the conviction of persons who have violated laws related to the protection of fish, wildlife or the environment.

Media contact:

Media Relations
Ministry of Environment
250 953-3834