As food rots in evacuated B.C. properties, scavenging bears and cougars move in
A concentrated effort is underway to remove food from evacuated properties in B.C.'s Shuswap region, because the smell is attracting wildlife.
Officials with the BC Wildfire Service said encounters with bears or cougars drawn to the empty properties could pose yet another hazard for firefighters.
“Downed power poles, damaged bridges, broken infrastructure, dangerous trees - wildlife is on that list as well,” said Mike McCulley, a fire information officer.
“This is one of the significant safety issues that is really challenging to deal with,” he added.
The wildfires that caused the evacuations in the region spread rapidly, fuelled by winds and dry conditions. People who were forced to flee had little-to-no time to prepare and would have left food behind in fridges, freezers, on counters or in the trash.
Then power outages caused items stored in refrigerators and freezers to rot, and animals are sniffing them out.
“I mean animals are instinctively smart, even when they’re in the forest,” said Cliff Chapman, also with the B.C. Wildfire Service, when asked about animals scavenging in evacuation zones.
There have been more bear, cougar and raccoon sightings than normal, with the increased activity attributed to the conditions in the wake of the evacuations.
“We’re attracting wild animals in larger numbers to these areas, so the best we can do is to remove as much of the food and waste that is an attraction to these animals,” added John Maclean of the Columbia Shuswap Regional District.
Crews are going around town with garbage bins and freeze trucks to remove the food, where they can.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Live updates as Stormy Daniels testifies at Trump hush money trial
Adult film star Stormy Daniels will take the stand a second time Thursday as former U.S. president Donald Trump’s hush money case continues in Manhattan. Follow live updates here.
NEW Why these immigrants to Canada say they're thinking about leaving, or have already moved on
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
NEW Capital gains tax change 'shortsighted' and 'sows division' business groups tell Freeland
Forging ahead with increasing Canada's capital gains inclusion rate 'sows division,' and is a 'shortsighted' way to improve the deficit, business groups are warning Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland.
Ontario man frustrated after $3,500 paving job leaves driveway in shambles
An Ontario man considering having his driveway paved received a quote from a company for $7,000, but then, another paver in the neighbourhood knocked on his door and offered half that rate.
Defence attacks Stormy Daniels' credibility as she returns to the stand in Trump's hush money trial
Stormy Daniels will return to the witness stand Thursday in Donald Trump's hush money trial as the defence tries to undermine the credibility of the porn actor's salacious testimony about their alleged sexual encounter and the money she was paid to keep quiet.
With contactless screening tech, this Toronto startup hopes to catch breast cancer early — and save lives
Amid evidence of rising breast cancer rates among young women in Canada, one Toronto startup is offering a contactless and radiation-free device that can help doctors identify suspicious changes in breast tissue. The company, Linda Lifetech, says this can lead to earlier detection of breast cancer.
Tornadoes tear through southeastern U.S. as storms leave 3 dead
Forecasters warned a wave of dangerous storms in the U.S. could wash over parts of the South early Thursday, a day after severe weather with damaging tornadoes and large hail killed at least three people in the region.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.