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.
害羞草研究所淭his bear just was not leaving humans alone,害羞草研究所� Riddell told the VI Free Daily. 害羞草研究所淚t was coming around young children and was certainly a risk to the public, so this one wasn害羞草研究所檛 really considered a candidate whatsoever to be relocated.害羞草研究所�
He said the bear had been on the Conservation Officer Service害羞草研究所檚 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.
害羞草研究所淟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害羞草研究所n the West Coast, we try to manage the people more so than managing the bear,害羞草研究所� Riddell said. 害羞草研究所淭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害羞草研究所檚 secure structures and standing in front of people who were having campfires.害羞草研究所�
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.
害羞草研究所淏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害羞草研究所e was practically living in somebody害羞草研究所檚 shed for a while because he got into their freezer once and then kept going back,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淲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.害羞草研究所�
She added that one Salmon Beach owner came home to find the bear on his kitchen counter.
害羞草研究所淗e tried to open the door to get the bear to come out and the bear went 害羞草研究所榚xit stage left害羞草研究所� and out through a plexiglass window,害羞草研究所� she said.
Based on the bear害羞草研究所檚 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害羞草研究所檚 addiction to human attractants likely set in irreversibly deep last year.
害羞草研究所淚t wasn害羞草研究所檛 this year so much that folks weren害羞草研究所檛 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,害羞草研究所� 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.
害羞草研究所淎 bear is 500 lbs and that plywood door just isn害羞草研究所檛 going to be a prevention for a 500 lb bear to get inside. They害羞草研究所檙e going to make some modifications, so we went on the side of education with the residents this time around.害羞草研究所�
Riddell added that the West Coast害羞草研究所檚 two WildSafeBC coordinators, Bob Hansen and Marianne Paquette are an 害羞草研究所渆xcellent resource害羞草研究所� 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.
害羞草研究所淪ometimes, we get a little relaxed on how we should be controlling our attractants and it害羞草研究所檚 very important to know that when you live on the West Coast害羞草研究所t害羞草研究所檚 very remote and very expected that you害羞草研究所檙e going to have some sort of interaction with bears and cougars, so securing all those attractants is a must,害羞草研究所� 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.
害羞草研究所淒on害羞草研究所檛 post it on Facebook right away and not call us. It害羞草研究所檚 always nice to let your community know that there害羞草研究所檚 something in the area but, if you don害羞草研究所檛 call, we can害羞草研究所檛 come out and do some sort of preventive measures to move that bear on,害羞草研究所� he said.
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