SUMMERLAND — It’s an all-too-familiar tale of wildlife getting uncomfortably close to humans. Again, as it is often the case, it’s the wildlife who pay the price.
Conservation officers shot and killed a mother black bear and her two cubs on Monday afternoon.
This happened in the Lower Town area of Summerland, where resort guests and residents heard and saw the event.
“Very disturbing. I heard two shots, and then me and another neighbour ran out,” said Tene Beattie, “I just wanted to make sure they weren’t dead — but they were.”
Many residents said they have seen that sow and her cubs in the neighbourhood and have never had any issues.
But the animals had easy access to garbage, which was stored at the back of a pick-up. Even though the truck had a canopy, the bears still managed to get inside.
“These bears were habituated to garbage, they had lost their fear of people, and basically, the garbage that was in that community killed those bears,” explained Conservation officer Barbara Leslie.
Leslie says humans and bears can co-exist if the animals stay afraid of people. And people, in return, do not leave any food source, such as garbage for them to find.
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