There is a bear problem in parts of B.C. at a time of year when there shouldn’t be. Bears that should be hibernating have been spotted in the Greater Victoria area, attracted to the non-natural food available at the end of driveways.
“There’s probably five or six bears in the Greater Victoria area that have yet to go to the den,” conservation officer Peter Pauwels said.
Pauwels said calls are up for this time of year with residents who have spotted a bear or found evidence that a bear had been on their property during the night.
Some residents use bungee cords and rocks on their garbage cans as deterrents, but experts warn they likely won’t stop the highly intelligent animals.
Only garbage cans with bear-proof locks can do the trick.
“The more access they get to non-natural food, the more habituated and used to people they become and their behaviour changes fairly quickly and then it becomes a safety concern for the humans and for the wildlife,” urban wildlife conflict specialist Meg Toom said.
But the lockable totes are hard to come by. They’re not currently provided to residents for lease or purchase by the Capital Regional District so some homeowners are finding alternative ways of safely storing their garbage.
Wildsafe BC suggests homeowners should:
– Keep garbage in a secure building until collection day
– Ensure all bins are tightly closed
– Regularly wash all items
– Not leave garbage in the back of a truck even if it has a canopy
– Freeze smelly items, adding it to the bin only on the morning that garbage is collected
If the trend continues conservation officers say they have little choice but to take action during what is normally a quiet time of year.
“Eventually, we may end up having to deal with them and they would not be candidates for relocation at that point in time,” Pauwels said.
– With files from Kylie Stanton