British Columbia cyclist Kevin Milner was rounding a downhill corner on a North Vancouver trail last Monday evening when he slammed into another road user crossing in front of him.

The collision 害羞草研究所� which sent Milner flying and left him with a broken scapula, cardiac contusion and other injuries 害羞草研究所� didn害羞草研究所檛 involve a car or another cyclist. Milner害羞草研究所檚 bike had T-boned a black bear.

害羞草研究所淭he last thing I saw of the bear before the accident was just him running. I can see his muscles as he was charging across the road, and I just hit him right behind the shoulder blade and then I kind of launched myself over top of him,害羞草研究所� said Milner, whose expects it will take six weeks to recover.

Milner害羞草研究所檚 accident on the Seymour Demonstration Forest trail was unusual, but authorities are warning that with spring in full swing, bears across B.C. are emerging from their dens and encounters with humans are on the rise.

Shelley Fiorito, a community coordinator with the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen in B.C.害羞草研究所檚 southern Interior, said her phone is already buzzing with people sharing their interactions with bears.

害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檝e had a couple of really warm spells in the last couple of weeks, so everything is getting nice and green in the valley bottom,害羞草研究所� Fiorito said.

害羞草研究所淭he wildlife is coming down, especially the bears when they come out of the denning, they are looking for forage and sources of water.害羞草研究所�

Fiorito said disasters such as wildfires and flooding can also affect how wildlife moves in the region, leading to more potential human encounters with bears.

The district said bear-human interactions reached new highs there in 2022.

BC Conservation Officer Service statistics meanwhile show 479 black bears were killed by its officers over the past year ending in April.

Fiorito said a spike in bear sightings could be related to the increase in people working from home in the wake of the pandemic, adding to food waste in garbage that could be attracting the animals.

害羞草研究所淕arbage is a big thing, but bird feeders, particularly bird seed is a really high-calorie meal for bears that are looking to replenish their body fat,害羞草研究所� she said.

Bears can smell five times better than dogs, the district said in a news release. Its advice to avoid drawing bears into a neighourhood includes freezing smelly food waste, removing bird feeders and storing all garbage in a secure area.

Ellie Lamb, director of community outreach for the Get Bear Smart Society, said bears are active in May, as mother bears show their cubs around fishing spots and foraging grounds.

害羞草研究所淭hat could be anywhere in her home range where she lives and she teaches these young bears how to survive, who to be careful of,害羞草研究所� said Lamb.

Extra caution is needed around mother bears, said Lamb.

She said hikers who encounter bears on a forest trail should give them space by moving off the trail and letting the bears walk by, with bear spray in hand, she said.

害羞草研究所淢y teaching is don害羞草研究所檛 be afraid of them and just be respectful of them and give them space,害羞草研究所� said Lamb, whose organization aims to minimize the number of bears killed as a result of interactions with humans.

Still, she said, it害羞草研究所檚 important to set boundaries.

害羞草研究所淭ell them what害羞草研究所檚 acceptable and what害羞草研究所檚 not.害羞草研究所�

Cyclist Milner didn害羞草研究所檛 have that option in the split seconds before he crashed into the bear, which he said appeared to be unhurt as it nibbled on grass after their collision.

He attributes the painful encounter to bad luck.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 just kind of a hard-to-avoid situation. I mean, you if you were driving your car and say a bear or a deer jumps out on the highway, (there害羞草研究所檚 only) so much you can do, right?害羞草研究所�

Nono Shen, The Canadian Press

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