Bear Smart Important Bear Update
As many residents are aware, a very large bear with a yellow ear tag had been active in the Village, wandering between Timbertop, Mountain, Bayview, and Bayview Place for the last few months. Based on the tag number viewed by a resident, the Conservation Officers Service determined that this bear had learned to associate people with food by accessing garbage in another community.
While in the Village, the bear accessed several insecure garbage bins and also broke into sheds to eat the garbage stored within. Recently the bear’s behaviour escalated to charging residents, thus creating an increasingly dangerous situation. Once a tagged bear becomes dangerous in this way the options are limited.
A baited culvert trap was installed at the end of Bayview Place last week. On Monday, May 23rd, the bear was trapped. Given the fact that this bear had been a problem before, in a different community, and given the dangerous behaviours displayed here in Lions Bay, this bear was destroyed.
This unfortunate outcome reinforces the critical importance of ensuring that all bear attractants - especially garbage - is kept inaccessible to bears. Storage sheds are no match for a determined bear. Please remember that failure to secure house wildlife attractants will result in a $300 fine. The Village Office sells Rollins Schaefer, which are bear (and other wildlife) resistant, for $200, and strongly recommends using this kind of garbage bin to store garbage more securely.
This bear had to be destroyed – let’s all take full responsibility for ensuring that other bears don’t become accustomed to the people=garbage=food formula.
On Behalf of the Bear Smart Committee
TrackBack URI for this entry
Subscribe to this comment's feed
Show/hide comment form
Latest Events
- Radio Controlled Car Club
May 22, 2012 (18:30)Please join this enthusiastic group of young and old at the Village Hall as they RACE with radio-controlled cars! No speed limit required.
