Five hundred black bears were killed by B.C. Conservation officers in 2022.
That is according to the Fur-Bearers, a non-profit charity, as it tracked the deadliest communities for black bears in the province.
“Black bears are often killed when they begin accessing garbage and spend time in human-dense areas seeking unnatural food sources from unsecured attractants,” said Aaron Hofman, the Fur-Bearers’ director of advocacy and policy.
“By identifying communities where bears are killed with greater frequency, questions about systemic issues can be asked, and the killing can end.”
Fur-Bearers was able to obtain the grizzly bear death numbers through the government, which actually showed there was a 14 per cent decrease in deaths from 2021.
According to statistics, the deadliest communities for B.C. black bears in 2022 were:
- Prince George: 32
- Nelson: 21
- Castlegar: 14
- Okanagan Falls: 12
- Revelstoke: 12
- West Kelowna: 12
- Nanaimo: 10
- Port Alberni: 10
“Local governments, businesses, and residents in these communities need to address the significant number of black bears being killed,” Hofman said.
“Wildlife is typically seen as a provincial responsibility, but provincial officers cannot respond to every potential attractant issue like unsecured garbage, or every incident of wildlife feeding.
“Municipalities need to take leadership and implement measures to manage attractants including garbage, bird feeders, fruit trees and wildlife feeding. These efforts will help protect people and wildlife.”
According to government statistics, the B.C. Conservation Service killed 4,279 black bears between 2015 and 2022.
The B.C. government has a number of tips for dealing with bear encounters:
- Do not feed bears. It’s against the law to feed dangerous wildlife.
- Remain calm. Do not run or climb a tree. Slowly back away, talking to the bear in a quiet, monotone voice. Do not scream, turn your back on the bear, kneel down or make direct eye contact.
- Keep away from the bear. Do not try to get closer to it. If the bear gets too close, use pepper spray (within 7 metres) or something else to threaten or distract it.
- Stay together. If you are with others, act as a group. Keep children close – pick up and carry small children.
- Go indoors. Bring pets indoors if possible.
- Watch the bear until it leaves. Make sure the bear has a clear escape route. After the bear is gone and it’s safe, make sure there is nothing in the area that will attract bears back again.