A black bear who surprised a homeowner in his back yard by approaching him from behind, was shot by conservation officers at a busy intersection in broad daylight in Peachland Friday.
Conservation officer Jim Beck said the bear had been scrounging in garbage bins and refused to be scared off by residents in the area for some time, becoming more and more bold.
“He’d lost his fear and respect for people,” he explained. Bears that are no longer nocturnal but are out and about during the day, and who are not wary of people, can be dangerous and unpredictable.
At the time he was shot, he wasn’t far from a school, at a time when kids would be heading home, he noted.
He was shot at the corner of Highway 97 and Princeton Avenue, near downtown Peachland.
People are advised to keep their garbage inside so it doesn’t attract bears, as well as cleaning barbecue grates and removing other attractants such as pet food.
jsteeves@kelownacapnews.com
