With most berries dried up in the woods, black bears are now heading into Williams Lake and surrounding rural areas actively searching for sources of food.
“We have definitely seen a large influx of bears in the rural and urban areas in the last couple of weeks,” said Sgt. Jeff Tyre of the Conservation Officer Service in Williams Lake.
“We have three traps and all of them are out right now, working on bears in the area.”
Tyre urged the public to actively manage their garbage and fruit.
It would be ideal if people waited until morning to put out their garbage as well, even though there are no bylaws enforcing the practice.
“If there is a bear working in your neighborhood it is a good thing to wait until morning or you are going to be the one out there cleaning up and fines are possible,” Tyre said.
So far the COS has put down one “nuisance” black bear this season.
Tyre said they prefer not to have to kill bears, but relocating them is not an option once they have become habituated to human food sources.
