Another black bear trying to access food was destroyed on Tuesday, the 12th bear to be killed so far this year.
“He didn’t make it to two years old. We are frustrated, disappointed and sad,” the North Shore Black Bear Society said.
Residents reported seeing the bear fish for salmon at the Capilano River, but the temptation of easily accessible calories nearby brought him into the neighbourhood.
Garbage, organics, bird seed and outdoor freezers are commonly reported bear attractants, the society said, adding that bears are still active on the North Shore and will remain active year-round if they can access access food.
Another bear had to be destroyed in October in Maplewood neighbourhood. The female bear was found in the industrial area in Maplewood, and it was likely she travelled down the Seymour River or Lynn Creek in search of food.
And in October, a bear was killed after being struck by a vehicle on Capilano Road. Last week, a bear was struck by two vehicles on Highway 99 in West Vancouver.
“Every year on the North Shore bears are killed on our roads. When we leave bear attractants around our properties we increase the chances of bears being in urban areas, where they can be severely injured, orphaned or killed by cars,” the society said.
This is a reminder to slow down and watch for wildlife, the society added. Citizens are request to report all wildlife activity in North and West Vancouver to northshorebears.com
There must be an intelligent answer to this problem. Is it the kind of container? What can be done? I lived in Mexico City in 1971. On garbage day, everyone in the neighbourhood waited. Eventually, we heard a bell ring, grabbed our household garbage, and ran into the street looking for the garbage truck. It was chaos because it was difficult to determine where the truck was. When we found the truck – if we found the truck – we handed our garbage up to the handlers on either side of the truck who dumped it. No bears would ever be killed if garbage was collected Mexico City style.
I forgot to say that these murders make me sad. I once found a black bear in my yard in Dundarave, who then climbed into my apple tree. It was young and scared. It didn’t know what to do or where to go. It had every right to be scared. It was going to be euthanized, having had its third chance. It had been eating garbage, including the plastic bags that contained the garbage. Bears aren’t very good at separating the two. So it was eating the most awful stuff. It was very sad. Honestly, it was a very cute bear that meant no harm to anyone. But relocating it hadn’t worked twice. It had come back to the very same neighbourhood again. Still, it shouldn’t have been killed. If bears can be trained for the circus, can’t they be trained not to eat garbage? Then again, dogs will eat whatever they can when they aren’t being watched. It’s animal nature.