A black bear and cub have been spotted wandering in the Lake Country area over the last week.
Residents have taken to social media to warn each other that a sow and cub have been seen searching neighbourhoods for food.
On June 7, the two bears sauntered up a driveway on Hare Road in the Okanagan Centre Road West area to look in a trashcan.
It’s believed the same two bears were also in the area of Juniper Cove Road, looking through garbage cans, two days before.
Both BC Conservation Officers and WildSafeBC has warned residents to clear their property of bear attractants.
“Once they become food-conditioned to these unnatural foods, they will habituate to people – associating people with food. This results in them tolerating people in closer proximity than what is safe for both the humans and bears,” stated WildSafeBC.
Conservation Officers are targeting areas with a history of bear conflicts. Communities where unsecured attractants, such as garbage, pet food, birdseed and compost have led to problems with bears in the past, are a priority.
During the first phase of patrols, which wrapped in the fall in 2019, Conservation completed more than 700 inspections, issued more than 75 charges, 300 warnings and 350 dangerous wildlife protection orders across B.C.
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