BearAware.bc.ca
Title
Bear Aware: preventing people problems in bear habitat
Description
Bear Aware™ is a Registered Trademark of the British Columbia Conservation Foundation. Any reproduction or use the name or logo without permission is prohibited by law.
On average over a thousand bears are killed every year in BC. Most of these deaths are preventable. Bears are always seeking food and our communities provide them with good foraging opportunities. Bears can smell garbage and rotting fruit from miles away. Furthermore bears learn quickly, and remember where they have found food in the past. Once a bear is "rewarded" for coming into town it will return. They become accustomed to the presence of humans ("habituated") and "conditioned" to eating garbage, bird seed, compost, and other attractions.. The more they come back the more bold they become. These bears are doomed.
Bear Aware coordinators work closely with the public, Conservation Officers, and city officials to find ways to prevent conflict. This may mean changes to the garbage collection shedule, new bear-proof litter cans and dumpsters, community planning to amend wildlife corridors or green spaces, and maybe the removal of un-used fruit bearing trees. Most people are eager to help find solutions which create safer, more sustainable communities.
Languages
English
