WildSafeBC Nelson has confirmed that a number of bears frequenting the city in the spring and early summer were fatally removed.
Lisa Thomson, community coordinator for WildSafeBC in Nelson, said she doesn’t yet have the exact number of bears that were killed but mentioned that many were yearlings.
Last fall, seven black bears denned in Nelson’s Gyro Park due to a grizzly bear family also frequenting the city, which prevented them from moving up the mountain without conflict.
“Grizzlies and black bears do come into conflict, and being younger cubs, they would have been killed by the grizzlies, so I guess the black bear sows decided to seek shelter and den in town.”
“Black bears don’t keep their cubs for very long, and this year, we saw a lot of yearlings getting into conflict, pushing boundaries, breaking into houses, and getting into garbage. As a result, a number of them were killed because they never had the opportunity to be taught to go up the mountain.”
She said failing to secure garbage was the main reason for the human-wildlife conflict that resulted in the bears being removed, which she says is a consistent issue. However, she stresses that it’s vital the community “figures it out” and finds solutions to minimize the number of bears being killed.
“Garbage is the number one reason for bears being killed, and that’s when we’re not securing our garbage—we’re leaving it outdoors in non-bearproof containers. I know there are a lot of people who face challenges with storing their garbage, but it is vital for people to figure it out.”
Thomson says she expects another busy fall with bear activity as they enter hyperphagia, during which they need to consume 20,000 to 30,000 calories per day to prepare for hibernation.
As such, residents are reminded that fruit tree droppings must be picked up at least once every three days, as required by Nelson bylaw, and to ensure garbage and other attractants are secured or removed.
Nelson may also see the birth of a new pair of grizzly cubs in the spring. Thomson noted that the sow and two male cubs frequenting the city last fall have now separated, but she mentioned that the sow was receiving attention from a large male grizzly earlier in the spring.
“As far as I’m aware, the boys dispersed from the grizzly mum in early spring, and she is still being tracked by the ministry’s biologist. In early spring, she was actually being chased by a very large male grizzly. So, we may see some new grizzly cubs next spring. We’ll see. As for her boys, they aren’t radio-collared. They have ear tags, and so far, no reports of them.”
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