With spring in full swing, WildSafeBC is reminding people to be bear aware as as they come out of hibernation.
With the goal to keep wildlife wild and the community safe, WildSafeBC Golden will be offering several programs from April through the end November to help educate Golden on proper bear safety.
WildSafe coordinator Johanne Lamoureux will be back for another year, implementing programs such as garbage tagging, webinars for school-aged children, door-to-door information campaigns, as well as the WildSafeRanger Program and the Wildlife awareness and Safety Education sessions.
All programs will be adapted for physical distancing and other COVID-19 safety requirements.
WildSafeBC Golden will be updating their Facebook page with information on their programs and important news, such as notifications from the Wildlife Alert Reporting Program (W.A.R.P).
W.A.R.P allows residents to report active wildlife in communities, to keep residents alert and informed. Currently, W.A.R.P is reporting a food-conditioned bear in Golden, which WildSafe says is a learned behaviour when bears begin to associate people and property with a food reward.
Removing access to attractance can help prevent food-conditioned wildlife and reduce human-wildlife contact.
Wildsafe asks that all wildlife in conflict be reported to the Conservation Officer Service 24/7 at 1-877-952-7277.
Residents can also report sightings of bear, cougar, coyote or wolf in an urban area. These reports are uploaded daily to WARP, available at www.wildsafebc.com/warp.
The Facebook page will also provide tips and tricks as the summer season progresses.
To register for one of WildSafe Golden’s programs, email golden@wildsafebc.com.
WildSafeBC is the provincial leader in preventing conflict with wildlife through collaboration, education and community solutions and is delivered by the B.C. Conservation Foundation in communities across BC.
WildSafe Goldenis supported through funding by the Town of Golden, the Columbia Basin Trust, the B.C. Conservation Foundation and the Province of B.C.
