WEST KELOWNA — Concerned resident Dave Calder is working to make his community less appealing to bears. He’s part of the West Kelowna Bear Volunteers, a group that’s educating people on how to reduce bear attractants.
“If you ask someone: Do you want bears running through their neighbourhoods? They’d probably say ‘no.’ But if you asked them if they put their garbage out the night before, they may say ‘maybe.’ So the connection is not being made,” he explains.
Calder is helping to make this connection by handing out bright yellow stickers to put on garbage bins, advising residents not to take out their garbage the night before collection.
He believes it is important to spread this message because there’s been a spike in bear sightings.
According to Wildsafe B.C., at least 60 per cent of the bear calls in West Kelowna have been garbage-related so far this year.
Calder believes the city and Regional District of Central Okanagan (RDCO) will have more success in reducing bear conflicts if it adopts the Wildsafe B.C. program. This program had already been implemented by the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS), earning Naramata Bear Smart Status in June 2014.
“A community that regularly killed between six to seven bears a year has now destroyed two sick bears in five years. So that’s a pretty good success rate,” says Zoe Kirk, the program coordinator for the RDOS.
Kirk believes if Central Okanagan communities apply to adopt the program, they will have a high chance of getting selected for provincial funding because of the need in those municipalities.
A representative from Wildsafe B.C. has recently met with the RDCO and City of West Kelowna. More discussions are expected.
Meanwhile, Calder is recruiting people to help spread the message. People interested can email Calder: westkelownabearvolunteers@gmail.com.
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