While the weather has turned quite cold, not all bears have denned for the winter. The above photos were taken in Kimberley’s Townsite area on November 17, 2022.
According to WilldsafeBC, if a black bear is continuously finding food they may not go into their dens.
Please continue to make sure you are controlling your attractants. The City of Kimberley provides the following advice.
Bears have a keen sense of smell and are easily attracted to improperly managed garbage. Bears that forage on easily accessible fruit are also drawn close to neighbourhoods and to other sources of food such as compost, bird feeders and barbecues. Bears may break into sheds or homes to find what they can smell from a distance. Bears quickly become habituated to these foods and spend more time near homes and businesses. Habituated bears are perceived safety risk and are often shot.
Bears cannot change their behaviour – but we can. We can prevent this safety risk and the needless deaths of bears by removing and managing attractants.
• Pet food – please store food and feed pets indoors
• Freeze smelly garbage
• Keep your barbecue clean
• Remove bird feeders between April and November
• Pick fruit as it ripens – by now any fruit that fell from trees should have been picked up
• Compost responsibly
• Keep garbage carts and containers clean
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carolyn.grant@kimberleybulletin.com
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