Tri-City residents are being warned to secure their garbage and animal attractants or face a fine to ensure bears stay out of populated neighbourhoods.
Black bear sightings in the area reported to the Wildlife Alert Reporting Program jumped from 10 in March to 41 in April and the numbers are expected to climb as the weather warms up.
"It is definitely starting to get into our busy season," said Sgt. Todd Hunter with the BC Conservation Officer Service. "They will be coming out of their dormancy period where they are looking to put on calories. They are hungry."
The first bear of 2019 was killed by conservation officers on the North Shore last week. The 220-pound bruin started popping up in Lynn Valley in early April after it became habituated to residential garbage.
When the animal started to break into lockable waste bins, conservation officers determined it was too dependent on human food sources to be considered for relocation and was destroyed.
Hunter said situations like what occurred on the North Shore can be avoided if residents secure their waste and make sure they set their garbage carts out during designated times on collection day.
"Businesses and people need to make sure they are not leaving out attractants," he added.
Steffanie Warriner, Coquitlam's manager of environmental services, said most residents are starting to understand the importance of securing their garbage.
She noted the number of tickets issued under the city's solid waste bylaw is down significantly, dropping to 10 from 44 during the same period of time last year. She added that the number of violations observed in the city is also down, falling from 238 in 2018 to 124 today.
"The city is very encouraged by the compliance results we are seeing," she said in an email. "We greatly appreciate the efforts that Coquitlam residents are making to be bear and wildlife aware across the city."
In Coquitlam, the penalty for having unsecured animal attractants, including garbage set on the curb outside of the designated time period, is $500. In Port Coquitlam, the fine is $150, while in Port Moody a first offence comes with a warning, followed by increasing fines of $50 for a second offence, $100 and $150.
Robyn MacLeod, manager of building, bylaw and licensing, said the city typically steps up its enforcement efforts in the spring and has already issued two tickets this year. Staff will also be conducting a public education campaign.
"We want people to understand that all of us are responsible for working to prevent encounters between humans and wildlife," MacLeod said. "The most important action our residents can take to help reduce these encounters is to manage access to garbage and other attractants."
| BEAR AWARE TIPS |
|---|
| • Keep garbage and food waste securely stored at all times |
| • Make sure pet food and bird feeders are not accessible to wildlife |
| • Freeze smelly food scraps until collection day |
| • Clean carts after collection day to minimize odours |
| • Make sure garbage is set out between the designated time on collection day |
| • Harvest fruit, berries and vegetables before they ripen and clean up fallen fruit |
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