The Conservation Officer Service in the Campbell River and Courtenay/Comox area have seen an increase in the number of bear calls in local communities over the past month.
The Black Creek COS office has handled 156 Human Wildlife Conflict reports involving black bears since the beginning of September 2017.
The bears are in residential areas because they are finding plenty of available attractants, primarily fruit trees (apples) and unsecured garbage. Bears that have become habituated to garbage and indifferent to human presence will defend these non -natural food sources - this is an extreme risk to public safety. Problem bears have had to be destroyed.
Fish returns to local streams in and near our communities are late this year as a result of low water flows. The bears are hungry and focused on preparing themselves for the upcoming hibernation. They have turned to human attractants and are now very reluctant to leave their readily available high-calorie food sources of garbage and fruit.
The COS is reaching out to homeowners to strongly encourage them to remain vigilant in securing all attractants on their property to minimize human/wildlife conflicts. The COS says it is about being responsible, and about being a good neighbour. Everyone has to do their part. Once a bear is rewarded with garbage or fruit, it becomes a learned behaviour and they typically will not stop searching for it.
Actions that make a difference:
Pick any remaining fruit in your yard. If you are not utilizing the fruit, then cut the tree down. There have been many examples of people keeping fruit trees who are not interested in the fruit.
Put your garbage out the morning of garbage pickup. Double bag and freeze smelly garbage until garbage day. Keep meat products out of your compost.
There are provisions under the BC Wildlife Act that make it an offence to attract dangerous wildlife to land or premises, as well as intentionally feed dangerous wildlife. The voluntary fines range from $230-$345.
The COS can also issue Dangerous Wildlife Protection Orders, that order an individual to secure or remove attractants, and carries a fine amount of $575.
These tools are being used by conservation officers to gain compliance in all communities.
The public can anonymously report unsecured attractants, and any known or suspected violations of fisheries, wildlife, or environmental protection laws, to the Report All Poachers and Polluters (RAPP) hotline at 1-877-952-7277.