Last year saw the lowest numbers of problem bears dispatched by conservation officers in BC in a decade.
The total number of black bears that had to be put down last year was 303, half the number in 2023, which was the highest on record at 604.
Drew Milne, Inspection Officer for the Conservation Service’s West Coast operations, says even the record low is too many, but one factor behind the decline is growing public awareness about how to prevent negative interactions from happening in the first place.
“Removing food sources is one of the top ways we can reduce conflicts with bears and any sort of wild animal for that matter,” he says. “It’s really coming down to individuals taking the responsibility and not putting out garbage before they’re supposed to, securing attractants like bird seed, or even not putting out pet food for their pets.”
He says the service is seeing an encouraging change in public behaviour, as they are becoming more ‘bear aware.’
The annual number of black bears that have to be killed after negative interactions with humans fluctuates, but the average since 2012 has been about 481 per year.
Last year on the Island there were 46 incidents, including six in Campbell River, six in Gibsons and Sechelt, four in Powell River, and five in the Tri-Port region on the North Island.
The busiest months are typically August and September, when bears are trying to fatten themselves up for winter hibernation.
