Neil Trainer was watching television early Saturday morning in his Summerland, B.C., home when a bear suddenly wandered into his backyard.
“I didn’t want to go outside and our cat was sleeping on the chair over there, so she was hiding,” he told Global News.
Trainer said at first he thought it was a big raccoon from the corner of his eye.
“I kind of felt sorry for it because it looked really scrawny and kind of hungry,” Trainer said.
This is the time of year when hungry bears come out of hibernation, looking for food, but there is increased bear activity in the South Okanagan community and it’s being blamed on residents leaving garbage bins out overnight.
The problem is so widespread that it prompted the District of Summerland to launch an education campaign in an effort to remind people that garbage should only be taken out after 5 a.m. on the day of pickup.
“What we’ve done in just in the last few weeks, our bylaw officers worked several nights over the course of two weeks and actually gave warnings out to people, as well as bear smart information to make people aware that we have this challenge and they’re part of the solution,” said Graham Statt, chief administrative officer for the District of Summerland.
Statt said in those two weeks, bylaw officers handed out 650 warnings to homeowners in the Giant’s Head area, Trout Creek and Cartwright Mountain.
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“In one of the homes, the garbage cans were knocked over and there was actually a bear digging through the garbage can when he (bylaw officer) was present that evening,” Statt said.
With so many warnings now handed out, Statt said the grace period is now over and the municipality will have to take more forceful action to ensure homeowners are complying.
“We will do a long form offence, which is a court appearance in the worst cases but we also have historically and will will intend again this year to work with the provincial Conservation Officers, who could do ticketable offences”
According to the Ministry of Environment, the fine for intentionally providing, leaving or placing an attractant to attract dangerous wildlife is $345.
“It’s human safety, but it’s also bear safety,” said Statt. “We’re really talking about human interaction with bears and if the bear becomes habituated to garbage, the result is almost always a bad outcome for the bear, including euthanizing the bear.”
On Thursday, bylaw officers put out signs in the key areas warning residents of active bears in area.
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