Conservation officers are trying to catch a bear that’s been breaking into homes in Selma Park.
Conservation officer Dean Miller said they believe the bear, likely a yearling male, has gotten into at least five homes in the Nestman and Snodgrass roads area over the past two weeks. He said there’s also a possibility a second bear is involved.
Details of some of the incidents have made their way to local social media groups. One woman posted that the bear showed no fear of people or dogs and got into her house and starting eating dog food, before wandering into the living room where the surprised woman chased him back out. Another post included a picture of the bear amid the damage he’d caused trying to get at food in someone’s kitchen.
The bear has also been getting into cars and sheds.
Miller said this is the time of year that 14- to 16-month-old bears are kicked out of their family groups to fend for themselves, and with males who got habituated to human food sources while still with their mothers, or who face competition or shortages of natural food, it can lead to conflicts.
“Male bears are more territorial, and these small little bears get pushed out of certain natural territories by the bigger bears, so you get these young male bears who can get into extreme conflict [with humans] like we’ve seen in Selma Park, and in Gibsons, and certain parts of Davis Bay,” Miller said.
According to Miller, there has been a weather-related shortage in one of the usual food sources bears rely on in May and June – salmonberries and huckleberries – and the bear has been described as looking skinny.
“It’s doing extreme behaviours where it’s getting into people’s homes,” said Miller. “It’s seeking one thing. It’s seeking food. It’s not acting particularly aggressive, but it’s acting quite stubborn. It’s not afraid of people. Even bears of that size are very strong and can be defensive in their actions.”
Miller said conservation officers have set a trap in three different locations, but with no success so far.
He also said the usual message about eliminating bear attractants around your property doesn’t really apply in this case, because the bear is going after food inside buildings.
The advice for people in the Selma Park area is to make sure they keep their doors and windows locked.
“It seems that this bear has figured out how to open even closed doors to get into houses. So it’s not just people leaving their doors open on a hot day,” Miller said.
Miller is hoping people will take time to report any incidents by calling 1-877-952-7277. He also said, regrettably, that if they do manage to catch the bear, he won’t be a good candidate for relocation or rehabilitation.
“There is no facility that’s able to handle a sub-adult bear,” Miller explained, adding that even if conservation officers are able to relocate the bear far enough away, it would struggle to survive.
“It’s highly, highly likely that because of the competitive nature of bears and territory that you would probably have this bear killed by another bear or another wild animal within days of its release.”
