There has been a significant increase in the number of black bear conflict reports in British Columbia this time compared to last year.

According to Chris Doyle, the deputy chief with B.C. Conservation Officer Services, black bear-related calls have nearly doubled this year over last year in the province. He said 8,900 black bear conflict reports have been issued to the COS since April 1, compared to 4,900 in the same time last year.

Doyle said many of the conflicts between humans and bears are preventable. Conflicts typically occur when bears become habituated to human habitats or food.

B次元官网网址淭he COS would like to remind the public to secure attractants such as garbage and fruit that might attract bears, and also, a reminder that itB次元官网网址檚 an offence under the B.C. Wildlife Act to feed or attract dangerous wildlife,B次元官网网址� he said.

Doyle said the main reason for the dramatic increase in bear conflict reports this year is the decreased natural food supply of bears.

B次元官网网址淭his year, having experienced a colder, wet spring, itB次元官网网址檚 likely some of their natural food was delayed in ripening. That brought some of those bears into conflict [with humans],B次元官网网址� he said.

The increase in bear/human incidents comes almost a year after the provincial government updated its policy for dealing with wild animals that come into conflict with humans. The Ministry of EnvironmentB次元官网网址檚 policy update removed long-distance translocation of a wild animalB次元官网网址� trapping, moving and releasing B次元官网网址� as a preferred method of deterring them from human interaction.

Doyle said conservation officers only use translocation under certain circumstances. The COS has only translocated two black bears since April 2017, according to the departmentB次元官网网址檚 statistics.

B次元官网网址淭ranslocation is not viewed as a successful outcome for human/wildlife conflict,B次元官网网址� said Doyle. B次元官网网址淚n general, what we see is that the bears will return from translocation or they may not survive in the location theyB次元官网网址檙e taken to. ItB次元官网网址檚 something we use very seldom.B次元官网网址�

Instead of translocation, conservation officers should use various aversion methods on wild animals to promote negative associations with humans. These include hazing, rubber bullets, electric shock and foul-tasting chemicals, among other ways.

However, if those techniques are not effective the animal can be put down, in compliance with the B.C. Wildlife Act.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 not something a CO wants to do,B次元官网网址� said Doyle, referring to bears being put down. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 certainly something we work hard at trying to prevent. But when a bear is destroyed itB次元官网网址檚 ultimately because a bear has become habituated to a different food condition and is a risk to public safety, causing property damage and also maybe predatory towards livestock or domestic animals.B次元官网网址�

In the Comox Valley, a three-year old black bear was put down on July 5 after wandering through the Town of Comox and swimming in the bay. Conservation officer James Hilgemann and members of the Comox Valley RCMP followed the bear for two hours as it made its way into a residential area.

The bear was eventually killed after scampering up a tree.

The Association for the Protection of Fur-Bearing Animals is a wildlife advocacy group in B.C. Also known as the B次元官网网址淔ur Bearers,B次元官网网址� the associationB次元官网网址檚 executive director Lesley Fox says that putting down bears should only be considered as a last resort by conservation officers. Her association recently launched a lawsuit against the province regarding B.CB次元官网网址檚 policy for handling conflict bears. The lawsuit stems from a May 2016 killing of an orphaned bear cub near Dawson Creek by a local conservation officer.

B次元官网网址淭he Fur Bearers really encourages our conservation officers to exhaust all non-lethal options first and I think thatB次元官网网址檚 what the public also expects,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淚 was really sad to hear about the bear that was killed in Comox in July and itB次元官网网址檚 a story thatB次元官网网址檚 quite common across B.C.B次元官网网址�

Fox said there are many measures that can prevent incidents like what happened last month in Comox.

B次元官网网址淚 think the main question here is, were all non-lethal options exhausted? ItB次元官网网址檚 worth finding out more of the history on that bear and what was done,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淲as education provided to the community? Does the Town of Comox have appropriate garbage receptacles? Could the town have done more to prevent this incident from occurring in the first place?B次元官网网址�

For more information on how to be B次元官网网址渂ear smart,B次元官网网址� go to

For more information on the COS program and policies, go to