It’s a sure sign of spring.
Conservation officers on the Sunshine Coast are starting to see an increase in bear-related calls, and the WildSafeBC program has launched.
The Conservation Officer Service has also been called about several cougar sightings in the Gibsons area recently, including a report of a cougar June 4 near Headlands Road and Skyline Drive.
Recent bear reports include an incident May 29 in Sechelt, where a black bear wandered into someone’s kitchen in the Poise Island Drive area. The bear didn’t do any damage and as soon as it became aware someone was in the house, it ran off.
Conservation officer Gerry Lister said the bear may have been attracted to the neighbourhood because it was garbage day and natural food sources, such as salmonberries, still haven’t ripened.
Lister said the homeowner left a door open, giving the animal a chance to enter the house in its search for a meal.
Lister said the Conservation Officer Service advises people not to store garbage outside in accessible locations and put cans out only on the morning of pickup and return them to a secure storage area immediately after pickup if possible.
They also advise people to keep doors or low windows closed if possible when there’s a bear in the neighbourhood.
Other tips for discouraging bears include setting up a “trip-line” using items that will rattle and bang together if a bear touches it to startle the bear, causing it to leave, and alert the homeowner.
If you’re in an area frequented by bears, keep bear spray nearby, which can be used if a bear approaches a door or an open window and can’t be scared away.
And, if you have a car parked nearby, activating the alarm using the panic button on the key fob can also be effective in scaring off a bear.
WildSafeBC’s Sunshine Coast coordinator Jen Callaghan will be offering programs “designed to reduce human-wildlife conflict through education, innovation and cooperation” in communities from Langdale to Egmont until Nov. 30.
The program is getting its main funding this year from the Sunshine Coast Regional District , the British Columbia Conservation Foundation and the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy.
Information about the program and specific events is available at wildsafebc.com, WildSafeBC Sunshine Coast on Facebook, or by contacting Callaghan directly at [email protected] or 604-885-6800 ext 6476.
WildSafeBC’s season-end report for 2017 said there were 300 reports of bear activity of one sort or another in the period from Jan. 1 to Oct. 31.
According to COS statistics, already this year more than 20 bears and more than 30 cougars have been destroyed throughout the province.
If you have a conflict with large wildlife like bears or cougars, you can report it by calling the Conservation Officer Service’s 24-hour line at 1-877-952-7277.
Wildlife sightings can also be reported and followed through WildSafeBC’s online Wildlife Alert Reporting Program (WARP) at www.wildsafebc.com/warp
