Spring in the South Cariboo – the hummingbirds are back, spring flowers are blooming and the bears are up and eating grass to get their digestion systems working properly.
It’s time for people to start thinking once again about bears and making sure we aren’t inviting them into our neighbourhoods.
If people allow bears to access garbage and other non-natural food sources, they help to create “problem” bears, according to the Conservation Officer Service.
If a bear develops a taste for human food, it usually keeps coming back for more.
Bears can become permanently food-conditioned and are a potential risk to area residents and the safety of their families.
In most cases, when there is a conflict with people, it’s the bear that loses.
Bears are lured into peoples’ backyards by various attractants:
• Household garbage: put your garbage out on the morning of collection day and not the night before. Avoid stockpiling garbage as this is a good way to attract bears. If you must store your garbage, store it in a secure location (garage, basement, etc.).
• Pet and livestock food: store this food in a secure location and only put out as much as needed.
• Bird feeders: avoid hanging bird feeders during bear season.
• Compost bins: do not put rotten fruit or meat in your compost.
• Fruit trees: remove fruit from trees and pick up fruit that has fallen to the ground.
Under the new amendments to the Wildlife Act, it is an offence for people in British Columbia to feed and or attract dangerous wildlife (bears, cougars, coyotes and wolves) to land or premises or to disobey orders to remove and or clean up food, food waste or other substances that can attract dangerous wildlife to their premises.
To report any problem wildlife in your area, such as bears, call 1-877-952-7277.
