Be bear-smart this season

Residents reminded to be extra bear-aware as bears emerge from hibernation

Take down your bird feeders, tidy your yards and secure your totes – Squamish is prime bear habitat and the hibernating bears are ready to return. According to WildSafeBC, the Conservation Officer Service received over 700 calls regarding black bears between April and November of 2016. As we enter the 2017 season, residents are being asked to take extra precautions in managing attractants to help ensure wildlife can move through our neighbourhoods without being attracted to the first signs of food, and ultimately becoming a public safety risk.

“We saw a greater amount of wildlife incidents last fall that resulted in at least two human-bear conflicts,” says WildSafeBC Community Coordinator Vanessa Isnardy. “Bears have an incredible sense of smell and can be very persistent in accessing garbage and compost, which is why it’s more important than ever to be extra vigilant, prevent that first taste of food and avoid establishing habits that will persist all season long.”

Bears typically emerge from hibernation in April when they are lean and hungry, however they can remain active year-round if they become dependent on human sources of food. If an attractant is secured or removed, the bear will move on. Follow these precautions help keep bears wild:

• Take down and clean bird feeders
• Lock garbage and compost bins and store them indoors if possible
• Put garbage totes curbside between 5 a.m. and 7 p.m. only on collection day and never the night before
• Keep barbecues clean and free of grease
• Ensure any chicken coops and beehives are protected by an electric fence

"Our natural setting and the wildlife that inhabits it plays a foundational role in our community,” says District of Squamish Mayor Patricia Heintzman. “Squamish is bear country. By understanding the way they live and act in their natural setting and in the built environment that is now part of their lives, we can not only coexist, but serve as an example for other communities.”

Garbage remains the largest wildlife attractant followed by fruit trees and compost. Unsecured attractants are a violation of the District of Squamish Wildlife Attractant Bylaw. To report a violation please contact the Bylaw Department at 604.815.5067. To report a bear sighting please call the Conservation Officer Service 24/7 at 1.877.952.7277. For more information on living with wildlife visit http://squamish.ca/wildlife. 

March 23, 2017