Here's why B.C. conservation officers say you should put your Halloween pumpkin out for 1 night only
With Halloween less than two weeks away, B.C. conservation officers are warning locals to be cautious with their pumpkins.
In a social media post, the B.C. Conservation Officer Service warned of the risks that can come with leaving a jack-o-lantern outside for too long.
"They may seem like only a seasonal decoration but your Halloween jack-o-lantern could also attract a hungry bear," the warning said.
"As bears look to pack on calories, the scent of a carved pumpkin on a front porch could bring a bear right to your door, which creates a risk to public safety."
WildSafeBC, an organization that works to reduce human-wildlife conflicts, told CTV News Vancouver uncarved pumpkins could also be an attractant, but that jack-o-lanterns "tend to be much more odorous and likely more enticing."
Conservation officers and animal welfare advocates have warned in recent weeks of the high number of calls regarding human-wildlife conflict, particularly for bears and attractants. Last month, conservation was called 5,070 times about black bears. Officers responded to 508 of those calls and 142 bears were destroyed.
Officials estimate B.C.'s black bear population is about 120,000 to 160,000. From 2016 to 2020, an average of 494 bears were destroyed each year. So far in 2021, 378 black bears have been killed by conservation officers across the province.
While there are several reasons why a bear may be killed by a conservation officer, food conditioning is one of them.
"Once a bear has learned to associate people with food, that behaviour is incredibly hard to change. Those are the bears that probably end up being destroyed due to conflict," Mike Badry, provincial wildlife conflict manager with BC Conservation Officer Service, told CTV News in the summer.
"There's still a whole lot of work to do to get people to appropriately manage those attractants."
This Halloween, BCCOS recommends putting pumpkins out on Oct. 31 only, then bringing them inside at night and disposing of them properly. Putting off carving until closer to Halloween also helps avoid early decomposition, BCCOS said.
"Make sure the only guest on your front porch is a trick-or-treater," BCCOS' post said.
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.