A black bear was put down Tuesday morning in Boitanio Park.
At about 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, the bear was spotted in and around Boitanio Park. As there were children near by, the Williams Lake RCMP responded to ensure the safety of bystanders.
Police say it appears the bear had made the park his home for the past several days.
“The bear began to run throughout the park, increasing the threat to pedestrians in the area,” the RCMP says in a press release. “The BC Conservation Services were called to assist and, unfortunately, the bear had to be dispatched as it had run up a tree.”
Sgt. Len Butler of the BC Conservation Officer Service says bear complaints are steadily coming in and the public is reminded to be vigilant about picking up crab apples and keeping their garbage intact.
“Right from Quesnel to 100 Mile House our officers are busy with bear complaints,” Butler says.
People need to call the 1-877-952-7277 Report All Poachers and Polluters (RAPP) to make a complaint because that’s the quickest way to reach the conservation service.
“When we’re out of the office, we need people to call that number, and then we will get an update immediately on our Iphones,” Butler says.
When asked about possible relocation of bears, rather than putting them down, Butler says they don’t generally relocate black bears.
“We have no place to put them anymore. People could solve a lot of their problems by keeping attractants down.
“We don’t like killing everything. It’s simple. If there’s no food around, the bears will go out in the bush where they should be.”