'Food-conditioned bear' prompts closure of campground, trail near Whistler
Multiple reports of aggressive behaviour from what conservation officers are calling a "food-conditioned bear" has led to the closure of a campground and trail near a B.C. resort town.
In a post online Tuesday, the B.C. Conservation Officer Service said both the Cheakamus Lake Trail and the Cheakamus Lake Campground near Whistler are closed until June 22. Normally, the Cheakamus Lake Campground has 10 spots available for reservations.
The agency says "a number of incidences" were reported.
"Please remember it is everyone’s responsibility to store food and essentials appropriately in the backcountry," the BCCOS said online. "Do not be the reason why a bear is destroyed!"
The BCCOS says campers should store all wildlife attractants – like food and scented items – in a vehicle, trailer, bear cache or bear hang.
Already this spring, multiple bear attacks have been reported in the province.
Last week, a man was left with serious injuries after being attacked by a bear at a remote worksite north of Prince George.
About two weeks ago, conservation officers in North Vancouver closed a trail after a hiker was reportedly swatted at by a black bear. The trail eventually reopened, though the bear was not located "despite extensive efforts."
Earlier in May, a man was attacked by a grizzly bear on his property in the Southern Interior. In that instance, one of two dogs ran into the bush and likely provoked the bear that lunged at the man in the community of Malakwa, conservation officers said at the time.
In the first five months of the year, the BCCOS received 3,537 calls about black bears, according to provincial data. Of those, about 72 per cent – or 2,564 – were made in May alone. From January through May, officers responded to 483 of those calls.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.