It’s almost that time of year when some furry friends will be waking up from a long slumber.
Bears will soon be waking up from hibernation, and looking for food.
According to Prince George Conservation Officer, Nicole Caithness, bears are typically pretty groggy when they first wake up, but start to regain their appetite when they start eating the spring vegetation.
“That’s when we start to see them moving in search of food,” Caithness explained.
“That’s where things like bird-feeders or insecure garbage cans can pose a problem because those will bring the bears into our communities. That’s not healthy or natural food for them so it can actually pose quite a health risk to the wildlife.”
Caithness says the best way to prevent interactions with bears is to secure all attractants, such as garbage, organics, compost, and recycling.
“Either keep it in a bear-resistant container, some residences in the city have been provided those, or they can lock their city provided bins in a shed or garage, or use ratchet straps to keep them secure,” Caithness said.
“That will just prevent the bears from gaining access to the unnatural food source, and that’s what brings them to our neighbourhoods to begin with.”
Over the past five years, there has been a steady incline in the number of bear related calls during the spring (April-June) in Prince George, plus a spike in 2020.
- 2017 – 179
- 2018 – 186
- 2019 – 247
- 2020 – 419
- 2021 – 290
Caithness added that bear safety also extends away from the home.
“Bears are common in all of our city parks, especially those along the river, they use the river as natural travel corridor,” she explained.
When in an area with dense brush, Caithness says the best thing to do is let the wildlife know you’re there by making a lot of noise, by talking, clapping, or using a bear bell.
She added that bears and dogs are not a good mix.
“It’s really important if you think there’s a bear in the area, keep your dog on a leash and under control and they can antagonize bears and bears can be aggressive towards dogs especially if there’s cubs present.”
She said the most important thing is to be aware of your surroundings.