The Editor,
Re. “After years of saving wild animals and educating humans, the bear man retires” (The Tri-City News, March 4).
Drake Stephens definitely should be acknowledged for his work advocating for bears in the Tri-Cities. He has always been on the side of wildlife, while paid and unpaid, and has had infinite patience while educating the rest of us about the perspectives of wild animals, particularly black bears.
I predict Drake will continue to do so because people don’t retire from their passions. He spoke up for bears and other wildlife well before he was hired by the city of Coquitlam as an urban wildlife co-ordinator.
It is our city’s loss but the gain of many agencies, companies, forums and other municipalities to whom Drake will surely make himself available as a consultant, educating, advising, lecturing and continuing to act on behalf of black bears and other wildlife that stumble into conflict with the activities and inconsiderate actions of humans.
Drake’s patient education of people has been particularly important in Coquitlam when responding to concerns of citizens new to Canada who have all kinds of misconceptions about what bears are really like. I know this was the component of the job that Drake most enjoyed and that people really appreciated. He has always understood that many people simply don’t know about our wildlife if they haven’t grown up here.
Bears are opportunistic herbivores but not averse to eating meat should the prospect arise. To them, we humans stink worse than skunks (Drake told me this). Black bears don’t attack people unless protecting their young, or startled and surprised. They are wild animals and should not be allowed to feel comfortable around humans, becoming habituated through their exposure to our garbage and other food sources. Bears have keen senses of hearing and smell but don’t see well.
In a nutshell, this is the information taught by Drake.
And it has proved true. Our family has hiked often through the bush all over Burke Mountain, originally with very young children in backpacks and later on foot, and not once in 23 years have we run into a bear or anything else. We are more likely to see one walking through our backyard, meandering through while searching for food. They never stick around because there is nothing to eat.
I am most looking forward to having great conversations about the movements of wildlife in our neighbourhood with Drake now that he’ll have more time.
Thank you, Drake, for speaking up for the animals displaced, in some cases disturbed from their hibernation, and that became trapped in our urban settings. You saved a lot of lives and we avoided a lot of distress.
Janet Klopp, Coquitlam
