Fewer problem bears destroyed in Prince George this year but the reasons are the same

The BC Conservation Officers Service is reporting that fewer black bears were destroyed between July and September of this year than in 2015 – less than half as many, in fact.

While that may be good news to some, Dave Bakker with Northern Bear Aware says the reasons that bears are destroyed are cause for concern.

“The conflict issues haven’t changed. The numbers have dropped but the reasons for those animals and the calls are still the constant. So until that conflict cause is addressed in a proactive way, we’re still going to have animals destroyed.”

In the Prince George area, conservation officers destroyed 47 bears in just 2 months in 2014; in 2015, it was 25.

This year, that number dropped to 20.

Bakker thinks that number could be reduced to zero if more people were willing to take responsibility for their role in creating problem bears.

“Until we address the cause of the conflict, instead of reacting to it going, ‘Oh no, there’s a bear in my yard,’ take the steps to do something before that bear comes into your yard. That’s the key message that we’ve been trying to deliver for years and years.”

Properly securing garbage and compost, clearing fallen fruit and stowing bird feeders are all steps that can help save bears from becoming habituated.

says people need to do more to keep bears from being destroyed.

“You can rely on a third party to solve your problem, so to say, by eliminating the bear but that doesn’t solve the problem. It have to be addressed at the core of the issue.

That core is conflict – usually over food. And we all know the saying – a fed bear is a dead bear.