The Editor,
It is that time of year once again.
Bears are starting to wake up from their winter denning and making their presence known in Tri-City neighbourhoods.
As you might imagine, they are hungry and those with cubs will be seeking food for them all.
This is a good time to remind people who have bird feeders on their property that now is the time to put them away. The snow is gone (hopefully!) and natural food is available for feathered creatures. Bears are attracted to feeders as they have a high caloric content. A fence around your garden is not going to stop a determined bear from getting to it.
In the same vein, managing your waste in a responsible manner so as to limit wildlife access to it is needed year round but right now it is critical. Once bears know your yard has readily available food, you can be sure of a return visit.
One other thing deserving mention are the blueberry fields off Cedar Drive in Port Coquitlam. two of the three farms have electric fences around the fields at this time while the third is in the process of completing its electric fencing.
Those that frequent the dikes on bikes or walking and do the circular route through Minnekhada Regional Park should be vigilant. Bears that were used to accessing those fields from the brush area will now be stymied due to the electric fences and this will likely push them into areas where bears have not necessarily been seen in the past, further west along Cedar Drive, other local roads and residential areas.
For you and your families' safety, as well as for the bears' well-being, please be responsible around your own residence and have a heads-up mentality as you walk or cycle.
Philip Warburton,
Port Coquitlam
