The BC Conservation Officer Service is urging Okanagan community members to take care of their bear attractants now that the animals are preparing for winter and will be out foraging more often. CO Mike Stern said bear sightings and complaints peak in September and will likely continue into November. “The weather is getting a little cooler, and a lot of fruit is ripe again, as we got apples, we got grapes. And it’s the same old problem with trash, barbecues and other attractions around your house.” Officers will patrol communities and examine areas where litter is not managed properly, hoping to educate residents. “We might issue a dangerous wildlife production order to get them to clean it up,” he said. “If people just aren’t diligent and don’t follow the rules, common sense, then some of them get tickets.” Every year the same issues occur that bring bears back into neighborhoods and communities. “Fruit is a big thing when people don’t pick their ripe fruit off the ground, where they don’t have it properly fenced off. Grapes are also a big thing, where a lot of people have vines, they think they’re very beautiful, but they don’t pick the grapes,” Stern said. “We’ve had property owners who don’t live on their property if it’s near the lake or whatever. They have fruit trees that no one takes care of and the bears just come in and spend a few days cleaning up their fruit and they don’t even know what’s going on, which creates a problem for everyone else in the neighborhood who is trying to do the right thing.” KOs deal with several hundred reports or bear sightings in a season. “When we get a complaint that comes in, we follow it up and see the situation. But if people wait a week or two to report a bear, then that bear is probably habituated by humans and it’s too late.” “Then there is simply no possibility of relocation. And unfortunately, these bears must be euthanized. Just because people are too lazy to collect their attractants, especially fruits.’ Residents must store trash in a secure container until collection day or purchase a bear-proof container. Make sure bins are closed, keep rubbish and recycling bins clean and if you can’t store rubbish safely, freeze smelly items and only add them to the bin on the morning of collection. If your property has fruit trees, be sure to pick all ripe fruit and clean up fallen fruit regularly. If there is a potential wildlife conflict in your community, contact the RAPP line at 1-877-952-7277. For more WildSafeBC tips on how to be a good neighbor to black bears this fall, click here.
