Derek Ingram was driving near Walmart in Kelowna, B.C., on Wednesday night when a shadowed figure lurched into view.
Quickly realizing it was a black bear, Ingram began recording it, as the bear briskly rumbled along the sidewalk, heading away from Walmart and toward businesses on Enterprise Way.
Ingram said he’d never seen anything like it and was concerned for pedestrians in the area, watching closely as the bear dodged cars and cyclists on its way to more wildlife-friendly territory beyond view.
While it seems like an unusually urban experience for a woodland creature, Meg Bjorda from WildSafeBC pointed out that in places like the Okanagan, bear territory is always close at hand.
“That area is sandwiched between two natural spaces that are well-used corridors. There’s Mission Creek and the hillside above the Rail Trail, and behind the dealerships on Enterprise Way there is a riparian area,” Bjorda said
“Bears are curious and have a good sense of smell. It may have been travelling in one of these areas when it caught a whiff of something and went for a look.”
While the video makes for an unusual couple of minutes of viewing, Bjorda said it’s also a reminder for all the businesses in the area to be mindful of the waste they’re leaving outdoors.
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She pointed out that she and her colleagues at WildSafeBC spend a lot of time talking to area residents about what they should do to ensure their homes aren’t bear attractants, but businesses don’t always get the same message and it’s one worth taking note of this time of year.
With bears emerging from their winter dens, they may seek out protein-rich food sources in the valley bottoms, where people more frequently tread. Garbage is the top attractant for the creatures.
That’s problematic because if they do get too attached to human detritus, they won’t go seek food in the wild and will return to the areas they found fast food over and over.
Then Conservation Officers are called in to dispose of the creatures.
“We hope everyone gets on board with attractant management and that, within the next couple of weeks, bears will move back up to where higher elevation crops, like berries, are coming in,” she said.
Until then, if someone does have a bear encounter she has some tips to keep safe.
“If a person encounters a bear they should back away and give it space. In particular, if they are on foot they should talk to it in a calm, firm voice while backing away slowly,” she said.
“Encounters with road cyclists are very uncommon and in this case, I don’t think the bear was interested in the cyclists (it was just trying to flee the area), but notably bear encounters are a concern for mountain bikers in particular. ”
She added that they do advise people biking in bear country to carry bear spray on their person, to slow down around blind corners and to call out ahead of them so as not to surprise a bear.
“If a person on a bike does encounter a bear it is advisable to stop and slowly back out of the area. Running or cycling away from a bear can initiate a chase response,” she said.
“If a person is charged by a bear they should stand their ground and if they have bear spray be ready to use it.”
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