Submitted
Kathy Murray, WildSafeBC
Bear sightings were reported in Fernie by the disc golf course in James White Park and the duck pond in the Annex Park. There have been daily bear sightings reported on Montane and Fernie Alpine Resort trails.
There have also been reports of a Grizzly bear by the Mormon Church and Carbonado Apartments in Sparwood. In Elkford, Grizzly bears have been reported on the #7 Trail behind Needles Crescent.
The berry crop has dried up, apples are starting to ripen and garbage is routinely left outdoors providing easy food for bears.
When a bear gets food (garbage and apples) in your yard, it doesn’t know that your tolerance for bears is higher than your neighbours. It learns that a house, lawn, bicycle and the faint smell of people comes with an easy meal. It eats, learns and moves on. Eventually it will find itself somewhere it is not welcome. And when bears and humans are in conflict, the bear dies nearly every time.
Thanks for being a good neighbour and not putting your neighbourhood in harm’s way by picking all fruit as soon as possible and assisting elderly neighbours who may be unable to pick their fruit. Consider pruning and/or removing fruit trees and replacing them with native non-fruit bearing trees. Keeping garbage away from bears and cleaning up fruit trees will result in a cleaner and safer community for everyone.
Due to popular demand WildSafeBC will be doing additional wildlife safety and safe use of bear spray in Elkford on September 12th at 4:30 and 6:30 p.m. at the public library and at the Fernie Fire Hall on Saturday, September 21 at 1 p.m.