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Conservation officers in Prince George say they have killed 21 bears in less than three weeks amidst a surge in black bear activity in the north-central B.C. city.
That amounts to more than one a day for the month of August, a significant increase over previous years, the service says.
In a statement provided to CBC News, the Conservation Officer Service (COS) says it has received more than 1,200 calls regarding human-bear conflicts since August began with an average of more than one a day being killed.
“It’s higher than I’ve experienced in my career,” conservation officer Eamon McArthur said in an interview.
Meanwhile, RCMP say they have also received an unusually high number of calls to 911 about bears and have reminded residents that unless the animals pose an immediate safety threat, such calls should be directed to the COS line at 1-877-952-7277.
‘A preventable problem’
Though black bears are not an unusual sight in the city, which is full of green belts, crossed by two rivers and surrounded by forest, the sheer number being spotted over the last several weeks is notable.
The animals are moving beyond their usual territories of woods and parks, and pushing deeper into urban areas, crossing highways and even coming up to the doors of local businesses.
Bears are out in full force in Prince George in northern B.C., eating berries, exploring backyard swing sets and being disappointed by empty garbage cans.
In some neighbourhoods, there are multiple bear sightings a day — and sometimes, more than one at a time — while bear scat can be found in many parking lots and driveways.
There has been speculation about what could be causing the increase in urban bears, ranging from drought causing a collapse in berry crops to increased development forcing the animals to seek shelter elsewhere.
But McArthur said, ultimately, bears are only killed when they become habituated to humans as a food source — something he called a “preventable problem.”
“Regardless of why bears are coming into our community, the best way to ensure bears do not linger and create conflicts is to secure garbage and other attractants.”
$300 fines for unsecured garbage
A wildlife advocacy group has named Prince George the deadliest community in B.C. for bears, due to the number of black bears killed there annually, with 236 of the animals shot by the COS between 2015 and 2022.
The city of Prince George says an average of 35 bears a year are killed annually as a result of becoming used to human sources of food, including garbage and fruit grown in yards.
A $300 fine can be issued to anyone who keeps fruit, bird feeders and other attractants accessible to bears, and a $100 fine can be issued for people who put garbage on the curb outside of the hours of 4 a.m. to 7 p.m. on collection days.
McArthur said with the recent increase in human-bear conflicts, conservation officers will be working with the city to step up education and enforcement of these bylaws.
He also said officers won’t kill bears unless they pose a threat to public safety.
“A lot of the time, they’re just in trees eating natural food sources,” he said. “It’s if we get a report of charging or aggression that we have to dig a little deeper.”
How to keep bears safe
As a result of the increased bear sightings, the Northern Bear Awareness Society is stepping up an information campaign on what do with excess fruit, as well as other tips on keeping backyards bear-free.
They include:
- Storing garbage inside sheds or garages or, if they aren’t available, using a ratchet strap to secure bins.
- Food such as leftover meat, dairy and fish can be frozen until garbage day to avoid attracting odours.
- Consider not using bird feeder during high-bear seasons — and make sure any feeders used are out of reach of humans and bears.
- Turn compost once a week and don’t put meat, fish or dairy in piles.
- Store pet food inside and don’t leave pets unsupervised.
One of the other challenges facing the city this year is an unusually early harvest, with an unseasonably warm spring followed by a record-hot July causing backyard crops to ripen weeks earlier than usual. Here are some options for people overwhelmed by fruit:
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