Bear killings
Four bears have been killed by Conservation Officers over the past few weeks in the Powell River area, prompting a reminder to reduce attractants in yards.
According to the officers, all of the bears were killed because they had become habituated to people and had grown used to getting food from human sources, primarily garbage. Officers destroyed one healthy male bear that had taken to walking around Westview and breaking into outbuildings, with no fear of humans. Another of the destroyed bears also came from the Westview area.
Two other bears killed had previous injuries. One found south of town had a large area of its hide torn from its body and another, captured within the city, only had three paws and a stump grown over where the fourth had been. Conservation Officer Gerry Lister said the source of these injuries is unknown but that the first could have been from the attack of another animal.
Lister said situations leading to the destruction of the bears arose as a result of bears naturally looking for food this time of year as they prepare to hibernate, a lack of natural food due to a poor growing season and poor management of garbage and fruit trees.
Garbage in particular is a concern. Lister said that more attention needs to be paid by businesses, apartment complexes, schools, trailer courts, residences and all other places where garbage is collected. Bear-proof dumpsters or secure, bear-proof compounds where garbage cans can be stored are recommended. Lister warns that open top garbage cans or cans held shut by small pieces of chain are not acceptable.
“A bear may only require one taste of garbage before it becomes hooked on it,” said Lister. “The bear’s whole existence then revolves around looking for more garbage to satisfy its cravings. The result is messy neighbourhoods, property damage and an increased risk to public safety.”
Fruit from trees is also a major attractant and needs to be cleared from the ground after it falls. Livestock should be protected by an electric fence where allowed by bylaw.
Once a bear has become habituated to garbage in a residential area the only effective way to deal with the problem is by killing the bear, according to Lister.
“In most cases the situation...could have been avoided if people had been more ‘bear aware,’” said Lister, “and had eliminated access to unnatural food sources before the bears came around looking for them.”
For more information on bear-proofing property readers can call Laurence Edwards of Powell River Bear Aware at 604.483.2334 or 604.223.1170 or visit the provincial Bear Aware program online. To report a conflict with wildlife readers can call the Conservation Officer Service at 1.877.952.RAPP (7277).
