A sure sign of spring is bears wandering into residential neighbourhoods and on to farms.
The Ministry of Environment is starting to receive phone calls about bears.
“We’ve had two complaints of bears in Vernon so far but it’s early yet. They are looking for food,” said Josh Lockwood, conservation officer.
“Mountain bikers have called and said they saw a grizzly in Kalamalka Lake Provincial Park.”
Between April and September 2010, the ministry had received 482 black bear complaints and 11 grizzly complaints in the North Okanagan-Shuswap.
Officers will only destroy a bear if it is believed the animal poses a threat to people or livestock.
On Monday at about 2 p.m., the ministry received a report of a male grizzly bear apparently stalking horses in Malakwa.
“He wasn’t doing anything. He was tilling the ground for ground squirrels,” said Lockwood.
“We said we would come out if it continued to be a problem.”
At 5:30 p.m., officers got another call that the bear had been shot by a resident.
“The bear wasn’t dead. It was running,” said Brent Smith, a conservation officer.
A wounded animal can be a safety risk so nearby residents and Yard Creek Provincial Park were notified of the situation, and officers began searching for the grizzly.
On Tuesday, with the help of a dog, the bear was found about three kilometres away from the farm and destroyed.
The three-year-old boar weighed about 150 pounds and was in good condition.
“The case is under investigation to see if the land owner acted appropriately,” said Lockwood.
Bears are looking for easy access to food since they have come out of hibernation. Traditional food sources at higher elevations don’t exist yet.
“Eleven kilometres out of the valley bottom, there is still snow cover,” said Lockwood.
The public is being urged to take action to deter bears from visiting homes and creating problems.
“It’s important that garbage cans go away,” said Lockwood.
Residents should also keep pet food, barbecues and compost out of reach, and take down bird feeders as they attract bears.
If a bear is threatening people or livestock, the public can call conservation officers at 1-800-952-7277.
