Fall is the most active time for bear foraging because they must bulk up before winter, when they will lose more than 30 per cent of their weight. They enter hyperphagia – extreme eating mode – and need more than 20,000 calories per day!
If bears find easy calories in your neighbourhood, they linger. They may become persistent in their foraging habits and damage property, threaten pets, and conflict with vehicles. Public safety could also become a concern if a bear is surprised, confined, or protective of food or their young. Once a bear finds your neighbourhood to be a food source, they will likely return every year. Break the cycle! Never let a bear associate your neighbourhood as good foraging habitat.
To reduce conflicts with bears:
Report bear sightings and conflicts to the BC Conservation Officer Service at 1-877-952-7277 before a bear becomes food-conditioned. Reporting also helps inform our Wildlife Alert Reporting Program, which WildSafeBC and others use to prioritize education and outreach. Do not wait until a bear becomes a threat to community safety before calling in. Speak with your neighbours and work collectively as a community to secure all food sources.
For those heading out on the trails, follow these tips on staying safe in our great outdoors:
If you encounter a bear, stop, remain calm, do not turn your back, and never run. Have bear spray ready. Keep your eye on the bear, back away slowly and talk calmly. Do not let a bear approach you. Learn how to recreate safely in bear country by taking WildSafeBC’s free online course.
For more information on reducing human-wildlife conflict visit www.wildsafebc.com, follow WildSafeBC Central Okanagan on Facebook