VIDEO: In forested streams, black bears hunt for spawning salmon in the Cowichan Valley
River otters, raccoons and other wildlife also cash in on the seasonal feast
Trail cameras placed by Six Mountains alongside a spawning stream highlight the importance of salmon to black bears and other wildlife in the Cowichan Valley.
In the video above, a bear makes a successful catch in a pool of salmon.
The video below suggests it's harder than it looks.
Two salmon in the following video seem to taunt another bear before making a safe getaway.
Salmon are a bonus for bears that live near spawning grounds.
Other wildlife also target the seasonal abundance, such as river otters and raccoons.
When bears haul salmon into the forest, the rotting carcasses provide valuable nitrogen for trees.
https://web.uvic.ca/~reimlab/salmonforest.html
Learn more about the life cycle of bears: https://bear.org/bear-facts/5-stages-of-activity-and-hibernation/
Attend a free lecture by Helen Davis, a biologist specializing in black bear dens, on Dec. 14, 7 pm, at Vancouver Island University, Duncan campus. Craft market precedes the lecture at 6 pm. Sponsored by Cowichan Watershed Board.
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— Larry Pynn, Oct. 27, 2026