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Bear calls up in Tri-Cities, more killed

So far this season 5 bears have been destroyed because of conflict concerns, most lured into neighbourhoods by smell of garbage, attractants
Tri-City News
Bear traps
Conservation officers have spent a lot of time dealing with bears in the Tri-Cities, including setting traps for them, hazing them and sometimes destroying them. In all cases, bears were attracted to neighbourhoods by garbage set out early, ripe fruit left on trees or other attractants.Tri-City News

More bears are having to be shot because of problems with garbage and other attractants, Ministry of Environment figures show.

So far this season, five bears have been killed and a comparison of ministry reports shows that a lot of the activity took place in recent weeks.

Between April 1 and Aug. 18, for example, the ministry fielded 856 bear complaints with another 802 complaints coming in just five weeks between Aug. 18 and Sept. 29.

The high call volume meant that officers attended four times more calls — 100 between Aug. 18 and Sept 29 — compared to 23 between April 1 and Aug. 18, and three bears were destroyed, in addition to the two bruins that were destroyed earlier in the year.

Officers also used hazing techniques to discourage bears, with eight chased out of Tri-City neighbourhoods and numerous traps were set but only one bear was caught and relocated.