As a mommy bear and her cubs emerge, Squamish goes the extra mile to protect them

To travel to Squamish is to step into a community on the very cusp of some wild country.

It’s a place where you can go hiking, mountain biking and where, in parts, you’re merely paces away from a vast, forested area where you’ll find wildlife like bears and plenty of other animals.

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Sometimes, animals come too close to humans for comfort. And that concern is front of mind as a mother bear and her two cubs have taken up residence near a popular mountain biking trail.

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The three bears are living near the Mashiter Trail, in a place that gives them a “safe place to sleep, as well as access to water and natural food sources,” said a wildlife news bulletin from the District of Squamish and WildSafe BC.

It’s the second year in a row that the bear family has been seen in this area.

READ MORE: Many still placing bear attracting garbage out too early in West Kelowna

So barriers have been installed at a number of locations along the trail to help keep them — and trail users — safe.

“We’ve put up a couple of barriers to delineate the area where they’ve been seen and we’ve put up signs,” said Meg Toom, community coordinator with WildSafe BC.

“And we’ve put up signs, and we’re asking people for that portion of trail to leash their dogs.”

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Most dog owners in the Squamish area know how to be smart around bears.

But still, conflict can unfold.

“Unfortunately what happens with dogs off leash is they can pursue, chase wildlife,” Toom said.

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“It is an offence under the Wildlife Act, but what we’re also concerned about is public safety.”

For dogs, leashes have been made available along the trail. You can pick one up as you enter the bear zone and drop it off when you leave.

Dogs, however, aren’t the only trial users that are likely to disturb bears.

“Statistically you are more likely to have an encounter with wildlife when you’re mountain biking or running because you’re travelling at a fast rate of speed and going quite quietly,” Toom said.

A piece of advice to trail users? Give the bears a chance to move out of the way, and avoid any conflict by making nose as you pass through their yard.