Bear spotted in Rose Valley
by Sarita Patel
UPDATE 2:27 p.m.
With recent bear activity ramping up across the province, B.C. Conservation Officers are starting to conduct their bear attractant patrols to help reduce conflicts in communities.
"It is critical for everyone to do their part to help keep wildlife wild, so bears don’t gain appetites for non-natural food or lose their fear of humans – putting both bears and communities at risk," said the BCCOS Facebook Page.
As part of these patrols, COs will be in neighbourhoods checking to see if attractants are secured by using bear-proof bins, picking excess fruit from trees and using electric fencing around livestock.
“As the COVID-19 outbreak means more people stay home, this creates opportunity for garbage and other attractants to pile up – but also more opportunities to manage them,” said Doug Forsdick, Chief Conservation Officer.
“We hope people take this opportunity to assess their properties for potential attractants and ensure they are properly stored. Communities where attractants are managed properly experience fewer human-wildlife conflicts and fewer animals destroyed.”
During the first phase of patrols, CO’s completed more than 700 inspections, issued more than 75 charges, 300 warnings and 350 Dangerous Wildlife Protection Orders, which direct a property owner to remove an attractant or face a $575 fine.
ORIGINAL 12:08 p.m.
A black bear was spotted in the West Kelowna's Rose Valley neighbourhood on Sunday night, WildSafeBC reports.
Meg Bjordal, WildSafeBC Okanagan Westside coordinator says she saw a bear while tagging garbage bins that were placed outside for pick-up too early on Griffiths Place in West Kelowna.
"It had been seen on Scott Cres. earlier in the day," she posted on WildSafeBC's Facebook page.
"Please note that there is at least one active bear in the neighbourhood right now, though based on resident photos I suspect there are actually two — both are cinnamon phase black bears."
Bjordal also is reminding residents in the Rose Valley neighbourhood not to place garbage bins out on the street the night before. They've placed stickers on bins as a friendly reminder that garbage put out early is a bear attractant.
"Please remember to store your garbage securely!"
