The West Coast lost a black bear to habituation and food conditioning last month.
A large adult male black bear was trapped and killed by the B.C. Conservation Officer Service at Mussel Beach near Ucluelet on July 31 after causing significant damage and becoming a threat to public safety, according to Conservation Officer Andrew Riddell.
香蕉视频直播淭his bear just was not leaving humans alone,香蕉视频直播� Riddell told the VI Free Daily. 香蕉视频直播淚t was coming around young children and was certainly a risk to the public, so this one wasn香蕉视频直播檛 really considered a candidate whatsoever to be relocated.香蕉视频直播�
He said the bear had been on the Conservation Officer Service香蕉视频直播檚 radar for the past two years and had shown escalating signs of habituation and food conditioning last year, often being spotted in areas around Salmon Beach and Mussel Beach, showing no fear of humans or dogs and being unfazed by hazing techniques like bear bangers.
香蕉视频直播淟ast year, when this bear began showing signs of habituation towards humans and food conditioning, we aired on the side of caution and went out there and we educated a lot of people香蕉视频直播n the West Coast, we try to manage the people more so than managing the bear,香蕉视频直播� Riddell said. 香蕉视频直播淭he same bear returned and this year the behaviour of the bear was very concerning as it was ripping apart sheds to get inside of people香蕉视频直播檚 secure structures and standing in front of people who were having campfires.香蕉视频直播�
Terry Graff of Salmon Beach told the Westerly that the recreational community is accustomed to seeing bears, but this particular bear was menacing and wreaking havoc.
香蕉视频直播淏ecause he was so large and he was so unafraid of people and he began breaking into buildings, he became super dangerous. Unfortunately for this bear he did become habituated香蕉视频直播e was practically living in somebody香蕉视频直播檚 shed for a while because he got into their freezer once and then kept going back,香蕉视频直播� she said. 香蕉视频直播淲hen a bear starts to break into the shed where your garbage is, what do you do? I think this bear was just too smart for his own good and he had a liking for what people had in their sheds and he knew he could get in, he bent steel latches, he ripped doors off.香蕉视频直播�
She added that one Salmon Beach owner came home to find the bear on his kitchen counter.
香蕉视频直播淗e tried to open the door to get the bear to come out and the bear went 香蕉视频直播榚xit stage left香蕉视频直播� and out through a plexiglass window,香蕉视频直播� she said.
Based on the bear香蕉视频直播檚 behaviour, conservation officers set up traps at both Salmon Beach and Mussel Beach, where it was eventually captured.Riddell said conservation officers patrolling Salmon Beach were impressed with the attractant management they saw and he suggested the bear香蕉视频直播檚 addiction to human attractants likely set in irreversibly deep last year.
香蕉视频直播淚t wasn香蕉视频直播檛 this year so much that folks weren香蕉视频直播檛 securing their attractants, many of them did, but the bear was ripping doors off to get inside and get at their fridges and things like that,香蕉视频直播� he said adding no fines were dished out under the B.C. Wildlife Act for failing to secure attractants, but additional educational resources were provided to Salmon Beach residents to prevent another bear from becoming a problem.
香蕉视频直播淎 bear is 500 lbs and that plywood door just isn香蕉视频直播檛 going to be a prevention for a 500 lb bear to get inside. They香蕉视频直播檙e going to make some modifications, so we went on the side of education with the residents this time around.香蕉视频直播�
Riddell added that the West Coast香蕉视频直播檚 two WildSafeBC coordinators, Bob Hansen and Marianne Paquette are an 香蕉视频直播渆xcellent resource香蕉视频直播� for anyone interested in learning more about coexisting with wildlife and he encourages everyone to check out www.wildsafebc.com for tips and strategies on preventing negative interactions with predators.
香蕉视频直播淪ometimes, we get a little relaxed on how we should be controlling our attractants and it香蕉视频直播檚 very important to know that when you live on the West Coast香蕉视频直播t香蕉视频直播檚 very remote and very expected that you香蕉视频直播檙e going to have some sort of interaction with bears and cougars, so securing all those attractants is a must,香蕉视频直播� he said.
He added that anyone who sees a bear in a residential area must immediately report their sighting to the the Conservation Officer Service at 1-877-952-7277.
香蕉视频直播淒on香蕉视频直播檛 post it on Facebook right away and not call us. It香蕉视频直播檚 always nice to let your community know that there香蕉视频直播檚 something in the area but, if you don香蕉视频直播檛 call, we can香蕉视频直播檛 come out and do some sort of preventive measures to move that bear on,香蕉视频直播� he said.
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