Two bears were shot by the Conservation Officer Service in 108 Mile Ranch today. One trap remains on a vacant lot and officers continue to patrol the area for two more bears.
Officer James Zucchelli said in a phone interview that it’s people’s carelessness, not officers who are at fault when these bears are killed.
“There was a ton of garbage that was left out last night around the 108 and there was four different bears that were raiding people’s unsecured attractants,” he said.
“So this is garbage cans that are right up against people’s houses, in their carports. People are inviting these large predators into their yards and it’s creating a public safety threat that we as conservation officers cannot tolerate.”
Today was garbage day on one side of 108 Mile Ranch and Zucchelli said he counted 30 garbage cans that had been raided by bears on Kyllo Road, Block Drive, Gloinsum Drive, Easzee Drive, Smith Road, Monical Road, Kallum Drive and Thompson Road.
When asked whether there has been an increase in bear activity in the area, he said they go through this same kind of thing every year.
“It seems like people go for four months and don’t have any problems with their garbage so they just continue to store it outside … We can almost time it with the calendar. The bears are trying to fatten up to go into hybernation. It’s not different than any other year.”
Over the past month, he said they the Conservation Officer Service has received 21 calls for service about bears. That’s just in the 100 Mile House and the surrounding area.
“Unfortunately, these bears have lost all their natural fear of people,” he said. In this case they become a public safety threat and must be put down.
Calls had been coming in from the 108 all week, reporting bears breaking into secure buildings where garbage is stored, he said.
“Just last night there was an individual that was trying to scare the bear off of the neighbours garbage can and the bear turned at him and pounded the ground and popped his jaws at him.”
He said it’s when bears are startled or start to become defensive over their food source that “things can go sideways.”
Officers are still patrolling the area and Zucchelli said there’s no reason for public concern, “it’s not a predatory situation.”
But he said people do need to start using “common sense” and secure their garbage and keep their fruit trees properly cleaned.
Another problem, he said, is when people post these incidences on Facebook instead of making an official report.
To report conflicts with wildlife call 1-877-952-7277.
beth.audet@100milefreepress.net
