Bear sightings are common at this time of year as the animals look to fatten up for winter hibernation.
But in one Central Okanagan neighborhood, one bruin did a lot more than just raid the garbage.
Iris Clement is still reeling after losing one of her beloved pets this past weekend.
“It’s devastating, it’s just devastating,” she says.
It was Saturday night when her two and a half year old alpaca was attacked and killed on her farm in Kelowna’s Ellison area.
“It was just horrible to see, just horrible. He just went after what he wanted and left the rest so it was not nice,” says Clement.
Conservation officers attended the scene the following day.
They suspected the culprit was a bear, and while they were setting up a trap, a large black bear was spotted nearby.
“The bear was within 100 metres of the residence which is consistent with a bear that has made a predatory attack and preyed on its prey,’ says conservation officer Terry Myroniuk.
Conservation officers say they had no choice but to put the bear down.
While black bear attacks on livestock are rare, when they do happen, officers say they are likely to strike again.
“Once that behaviour is established, it is most likely to repeat putting both livestock and the public at risk,” says Myroniuk.
Normally bears that wander into neighborhoods are looking for garbage, not livestock.
Ellison residents were already nervous about the frequent bear visits in their area but the attack has put them even more on edge.
“They are there every day within ten feet of the house. We don’t go outside. We have not been outside for a couple of weeks,” says concerned resident Jennifer Hitchman.
Conservation officers say they are flooded with these kinds of bear complaints right now.
They’re urging the public to take measures, like storing garbage properly, to prevent human-bear conflicts.
As for Clement, she’s now keeping a closer eye on her livestock.
“I am quite concerned about my other animals now because there is no place that is really safe for them. We just open our bedroom window and listen for noise and see what happens,” says Clement.
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