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Food conditioned bear destroyed
WildSafeBC Elk Valley reported this afternoon the two-year-old brown coloured black female bear in this picture had to be destroyed in the Airport subdivision in Fernie earlier this week.
“The human food conditioned and habituated bear had a history of accessing garbage, causing property damage (destroyed a City of Fernie garbage container), tore down bird feeders and was found to be a threat to human safety. We (anyone with garbage left outdoors, bird feeders and other attractants) must hold ourselves personally responsible for contributing to the death of this bear and jeopardizing the safety of this community,” WildSafeBC noted.
City of Fernie Bylaw Services, the BC Conservation Officer Service(COs) and WildSafeBC investigated the area to determine who is attracting dangerous wildlife to the area.
Over 30 notices were issued to people with garbage outdoors, a dozen personal contacts were made, three bylaw warnings were issued and the COs will be following up with a Dangerous Wildlife Protection Order; $575 fine if the attractants aren’t cleaned up.
“Removing bears won’t solve the problem. As long as the garbage and bird feeders are there, other bears will move in. Garbage is everyone’s responsibility, keep it locked up,” WildSafeBC urges.
For more information go to www.wildsafebc.com.
WildSafeBC Elk Valley photo
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