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Be alert for bear attractants during "peak week"

This is the week when the most complaints about bears come in to the BC Conservation Officer Service
Critter Care photo
Tanana is the name given the bear cub that was taken to Critter Care after its mother was destroyed for attacking a 10-year-old girl along a Coquitlam River trail in August. With hundreds of animals in its care, Langley-based Critter Care is seeking financial support and is hosting a walkathon fundraiser Oct. 2, at Campbell Valley Regional Park in Langley. For more information, visit www.crittercarewildlife.org.

The BC Conservation Officer Service is calling this week "peak week" because it's when the organization typically gets the most bear complaints.

Bears are out in greenbelts and Tri-City neighbourhoods looking for food to fatten up for the winter, and everyone's home is a target if they have not secured their garbage or have left fruit on trees or bird seed that bears like to eat.

Leaving out these attractants could cost Coquitlam residents a $500 fine, according to Steffanie Warriner, manager of environmental services.

“Right now, these first few weeks of September are known to be the peak for bear activity. Bears are foraging right now for food, they are fattening up and they’re getting ready to hibernate," she said. "This is a very critical time and we need everybody to do their part so that we’re not attracting bears into Coquitlam’s neighbourhoods.”

To see an updated map of bear complaints and what caused them, visit wildsafebc.com/warp.