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Bears destroyed as fall unfolds

The public is being reminded to be diligent about removing attractants after three black bears were destroyed in the city.
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WildSafeBC is reminding the public to be diligent about removing attractants as bear season is upon us.

It’s bear season and the public is being reminded to be diligent about removing attractants after three black bears were destroyed in the city this week.

One black bear was destroyed on Lakeview Crescent and two black bear clubs were destroyed at the corner of Eleventh and Twelfth Avenue North where it backs up to the Dairy Fields, confirmed Williams Lake WildSafeBC co-ordinator Dylan Matheson Thursday.

“There were three cubs causing problems up near the Dairy Fields and several calls came in over a day and a half,” Matheson said.

When he went out to canvass residents in the area to talk about apple trees after the calls came in, he learned the Conservation Officer Service had destroyed two of the cubs because the office had received complaints about the bears being aggressive toward people.

“It becomes a safety hazard and unfortunately the bears had to be destroyed,” Matheson said, insisting people need to remove fruit from their yards, empty bird feeders and put garbage away.

“There’s six or seven times as much calories in bird seed compared to a steak and it is a massive draw to bears.”

Bird seed does not have a scent to attract bears from kilometres away, but once bears are in the area and see bird feeders they will go after them, he added.

Up-to-date information on bear sightings is available on the WildSafeBC website at Wildsafebc.com by clicking on the WARP tab, and includes up-to-date information shared by the RAPP line.

In the last two weeks there have been many calls about black bears within city limits.

The black bear sightings on the WildSafeBC map are colour coated.

For example, if the bears are getting into fruit or berry bushes they are purple or if they are feasting on garbage they are colour coded red.

The majority have been purple, Matheson said, adding when the user clicks on a bear on the map, a report will come up with more details that is updated automatically every 24 hours.



Monica Lamb-Yorski

About the Author: Monica Lamb-Yorski

A B.C. gal, I was born in Alert Bay, raised in Nelson, graduated from the University of Winnipeg, and wrote my first-ever article for the Prince Rupert Daily News.
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