It wasn’t just your imagination – there were more bear sightings in the Cariboo in 2020.

The WildSafeBC Cariboo program has closed up shop in the region for 2020, with 944 black bear reports throughout the year. In 2019, only 735 sightings were reported.

“Garbage was the most reported attractant, followed by residential fruit trees,” a news release from WildSafeBC reads. “The majority of reports was received in the months of August, September and October, which are usually the busier months for bear encounters, as bears are entering the stage of hyperphagia to fatten up before hibernation.”

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Mareike Moore, the WildSafeBC Cariboo co-ordinator, was kept busy throughout the summer, presenting to classrooms, tagging garbage bins and houses and hosting display booths at farmers’ markets in Williams Lake and 100 Mile House. According to WildSafeBC, more than 1,300 people were reached through door hanging and bin tagging, and nearly 350 people were reached at display booths.

Moore also organized an online B.C. Goes Wild event in September.

A full report will be published on wildsafebc.com in December.

During the winter months, wildlife conflicts can still be reported to 1-877-952-7277, and urgent wildlife questions can be directed to bc@wildsafebc.com. The Cariboo program will resume in the spring.

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Quesnel Cariboo Observer