Advocacy group says more education is needed as bear killings continue to rise
An advocacy group says a bear that entered a home in Port Moody and was spotted multiple times in the neighbourhood should have been relocated, not killed.
The black bear had been frequenting the Wilkes Creek area on Sunday, June 6. The BC Conservation Officer Service says the bear was not a candidate for relocation as it was acting dangerously, including charging at a man in his backyard and entering an occupied home.
“The adult bear displayed habituated and food-conditioned behaviour, which showed no fear of people,” BCCOS spokesperson Sgt. Todd Hunter said in an email to CTV News.
“The escalating behaviour of this bear was very concerning to conservation officers and an extreme public safety risk,” Hunter added. “We understand people are passionate about wildlife but this bear was not a candidate for relocation – the risk to the public was simply far too great.”
Residents who live in the Wilke Creek area tell CTV News Vancouver that bear sightings have become more common in recent years.
“I’m really afraid,” said resident Leyla Roshansad. “I don’t know what I would do if I saw them.”
“I think neighbours may not put their trash inside and that’s why it attracts them,” Roshansad added.
The B.C. Bear Alliance said food is not the only reason bears are drawn to communities.
“Being in a human environment, bears are smart, they recognize that they’re safe from the larger and more competitive bears that may kill a cub or injure one,” said alliance member Ellie Lamb. “They stay away from predators while they’re healing from a broken leg or raising their kids. That is the best strategy and it’s a smart strategy as well.”
According to the provincial Ministry of Environment, roughly 520 black bears have been killed by conservation officers in B.C. since April 2020.
The B.C. Bear Alliance is calling for more education and understanding on how to coexist with the animals in a much more peaceful way.
“We’re pushing to have more ethical and humane considerations towards these animals,” said Lamb. “This little guy did not know what he was allowed to do and not allowed to do, and he was never given the chance to learn.”
She said coexisting with bears should include giving them the opportunity to leave when they get too close.
“Be very clear in communication with the bear, use tone and raise your voice so they can hear you,” Lamb said. “If they get too close to you, throw a rock or a hiss of bear spray. The bear needs to understand that when you ask them to leave, they will leave, which is what they would prefer to do.”
The conversation officer service is also asking people to securely store garbage, pet food, bird seed and other attractants, to help prevent bears and other wildlife from accessing them.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.