The West Coast lost a black bear to habituation and food conditioning last month.
A large adult male black bear was trapped and killed by the B.C. Conservation Officer Service at Mussel Beach near Ucluelet on July 31 after causing significant damage and becoming a threat to public safety, according to Conservation Officer Andrew Riddell.
B次元官网网址淭his bear just was not leaving humans alone,B次元官网网址� Riddell told the VI Free Daily. B次元官网网址淚t was coming around young children and was certainly a risk to the public, so this one wasnB次元官网网址檛 really considered a candidate whatsoever to be relocated.B次元官网网址�
He said the bear had been on the Conservation Officer ServiceB次元官网网址檚 radar for the past two years and had shown escalating signs of habituation and food conditioning last year, often being spotted in areas around Salmon Beach and Mussel Beach, showing no fear of humans or dogs and being unfazed by hazing techniques like bear bangers.
B次元官网网址淟ast year, when this bear began showing signs of habituation towards humans and food conditioning, we aired on the side of caution and went out there and we educated a lot of peopleB次元官网网址n the West Coast, we try to manage the people more so than managing the bear,B次元官网网址� Riddell said. B次元官网网址淭he same bear returned and this year the behaviour of the bear was very concerning as it was ripping apart sheds to get inside of peopleB次元官网网址檚 secure structures and standing in front of people who were having campfires.B次元官网网址�
Terry Graff of Salmon Beach told the Westerly that the recreational community is accustomed to seeing bears, but this particular bear was menacing and wreaking havoc.
B次元官网网址淏ecause he was so large and he was so unafraid of people and he began breaking into buildings, he became super dangerous. Unfortunately for this bear he did become habituatedB次元官网网址e was practically living in somebodyB次元官网网址檚 shed for a while because he got into their freezer once and then kept going back,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淲hen a bear starts to break into the shed where your garbage is, what do you do? I think this bear was just too smart for his own good and he had a liking for what people had in their sheds and he knew he could get in, he bent steel latches, he ripped doors off.B次元官网网址�
She added that one Salmon Beach owner came home to find the bear on his kitchen counter.
B次元官网网址淗e tried to open the door to get the bear to come out and the bear went B次元官网网址榚xit stage leftB次元官网网址� and out through a plexiglass window,B次元官网网址� she said.
Based on the bearB次元官网网址檚 behaviour, conservation officers set up traps at both Salmon Beach and Mussel Beach, where it was eventually captured.Riddell said conservation officers patrolling Salmon Beach were impressed with the attractant management they saw and he suggested the bearB次元官网网址檚 addiction to human attractants likely set in irreversibly deep last year.
B次元官网网址淚t wasnB次元官网网址檛 this year so much that folks werenB次元官网网址檛 securing their attractants, many of them did, but the bear was ripping doors off to get inside and get at their fridges and things like that,B次元官网网址� he said adding no fines were dished out under the B.C. Wildlife Act for failing to secure attractants, but additional educational resources were provided to Salmon Beach residents to prevent another bear from becoming a problem.
B次元官网网址淎 bear is 500 lbs and that plywood door just isnB次元官网网址檛 going to be a prevention for a 500 lb bear to get inside. TheyB次元官网网址檙e going to make some modifications, so we went on the side of education with the residents this time around.B次元官网网址�
Riddell added that the West CoastB次元官网网址檚 two WildSafeBC coordinators, Bob Hansen and Marianne Paquette are an B次元官网网址渆xcellent resourceB次元官网网址� for anyone interested in learning more about coexisting with wildlife and he encourages everyone to check out www.wildsafebc.com for tips and strategies on preventing negative interactions with predators.
B次元官网网址淪ometimes, we get a little relaxed on how we should be controlling our attractants and itB次元官网网址檚 very important to know that when you live on the West CoastB次元官网网址tB次元官网网址檚 very remote and very expected that youB次元官网网址檙e going to have some sort of interaction with bears and cougars, so securing all those attractants is a must,B次元官网网址� he said.
He added that anyone who sees a bear in a residential area must immediately report their sighting to the the Conservation Officer Service at 1-877-952-7277.
B次元官网网址淒onB次元官网网址檛 post it on Facebook right away and not call us. ItB次元官网网址檚 always nice to let your community know that thereB次元官网网址檚 something in the area but, if you donB次元官网网址檛 call, we canB次元官网网址檛 come out and do some sort of preventive measures to move that bear on,B次元官网网址� he said.
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