Yogi, get ready for your close up.

A University of B.C. researcher is working with several Sooke and Metchosin residents on a project to track the movements and population densities of black bears and their conflicts with people.

B次元官网网址淭he past seven years Sooke has almost double the amount of wildlife conflicts than any other municipality [in the Capital Regional District], and most of those conflicts are with bears,B次元官网网址� said Joanna van Bommel, who is conducting the one-year study as a masterB次元官网网址檚 project.

The project uses about 80 remote, motion-triggered cameras to study the bears. Cameras are located, not only in neighbourhoods where thereB次元官网网址檚 a high bear population, but in parks, forest and farm lands.

Black bears exist across North America, but B.C. has the highest population estimated at 140,000. There were 20,000 human-wildlife conflicts reported in B.C. in 2017 B次元官网网址� 70 per cent related to black bears.

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B次元官网网址淢y masterB次元官网网址檚 project will study the distribution of black bears and their conflicts with people in a wild-urban interface based on environmental and human factors such as: housing density, garbage containment, berry availability, and forest type. I expect bears are attracted to urban areas generally and more so to those with consistent food availability,B次元官网网址� said van Bommel.

She said bears take the path of least resistance in hunting for food. The bruins eat about 25,000 calories per day.

Over the last seven years, conservation officers killed 69 black bears in the CRD, and Sooke had the highest level of mortality for bears.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 really interested to see what my data shows in the end, and hopefully IB次元官网网址檒l be able to produce some recommendations where to target mitigation within the community to help reduce some of those conflicts,B次元官网网址� van Bommel said.

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For years, Wild Wise Sooke has urged residents to be more bear aware by keeping garbage and other food sources away from bears, and since its inception nine years ago has seen a dramatic decrease in bear-human conflict, said coordinator Debb Read.

Read is encouraged by the study and the results it could produce.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e all about reducing the conflict,B次元官网网址� she said.

van Bommel said along with placing the cameras on public property, sheB次元官网网址檒l also be asking residents, or as she calls them B次元官网网址榗itizen scientists,B次元官网网址� for permission to use their property.

B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 been a wonderful response so far. IB次元官网网址檝e met with people already and theyB次元官网网址檝e been so helpful and excited,B次元官网网址� she said.

Several cameras were placed over the last few weeks and more will come online soon.

Each camera is checked by van Bommel once a month, and while cameras are on private property, the landowners have no other responsibility.

B次元官网网址淲e asked (land owners) to check the cameras every so often because bears can be curious and knock the cameras around.B次元官网网址�

editor@sookenewsmirror.com
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