Metro Vancouver bears are getting hungrier as we head toward fall — the time of year they need to build up fat reserves for winter denning — and it has already been a busy summer of sightings and encounters in places like the North Shore.
“They come around usually on garbage day and we see them on the cameras as well at night,” shared Marc, who lives in the Maplewood neighbourhood of North Vancouver. “I think they are more in garbage this year than any other year.”
He has had close encounters with bears in his driveway and on the street this summer, trying to scare them away from garbage bins and warning pedestrians and cyclists on the street so they don’t startle the animals.
But despite many sightings, he believes more people in the neighbourhood are trying to be “bear smart” by properly securing their garbage and organic waste.
“I think so. I see that people are taking their garbage and green bins out a lot later these days and I think that makes a difference. I take my organics out the day of collection. I don’t put them in the freezer but I keep them in the fridge,” he told 1130 NewsRadio.
Down the street, Jayme agrees that garbage collection days bring the most bears to the neighbourhood, but he’s often seen them at other times, too.
“They’ve knocked over my fence, broken a hole right through at the back. They’ve been across the street from me so I just yell out to people walking down the road to watch out for the bear. I told some kids there was a one 100 feet in front of them so they slowed down and walked back the other way.”
He thinks sightings have been more frequent than ususal in his neighbourhood this summer.
“But even two years ago, there was a mother with her cubs that would always sit in our front yard, so I’d say it’s pretty consistent. Sometimes there are more, and this year it seems like there are more.”
A few doors down, 10-year-old Amelia says she’s seen bears in her driveway several times over the past few weeks, and it’s not uncommon for sightings to keep she and her classmates indoors at school.
“They come often. I don’t want my dog to get hurt or, like, if my cat goes outside I don’t want him to get eaten. It’s a very unlikely situation but it stills scares me.”
Like many kids who grow up on the North Shore, Amelia is well-versed in what to do if you encounter a black bear.
The North Shore Black Bear Society recommends you talk to the animal in a calm voice, slowly distance yourself and leave the area. It also suggest you leave your phone alone and be present.
“Viewing bears through your phone can obscure how close they may be. During an encounter, be aware of your surroundings. Using a calm tone and slowly moving away from bears communicates to them that you are respecting their personal space,” said the NSBBS on its website.