FOREST FIRE UPDATE PAGE A2
Wednesday, July 16 , 2014
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VOL. 100 NO. 91
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Gardens on parade Six gardens were showcased on Sunday during Quesnel Art Gallery fundraiser Garden Galleries with local artists and musicians enhancing the experience. Each garden featured its own unique beauty and honoured the hard work and horticultural expertise of its owner. For more photos see PAGE A10 - A13. Whitney Griffiths photo
Bear season means residents need to be responsible for removing attractants
AUTUMN MacDONALD Observer Reporter
Conservation officers are warning residents to secure wildlife attractants after an increase in bear complaints. From April of this year until July 11 there’s been 229 bear complaints, almost all of them due to unsecured attractants. “Nine-nine percent of the issue has to do with attractant management,” conservation officer Ryane
McIntyre said. “Every neighbourhood has complaints with bears (multiple) being more and more habituated. Yesterday we finally euthanized a bear that was becoming so habituated to people it started breaking into houses. “We are advising the public to secure their attractants or completely remove them from their property to reduce the chances of luring a bear to their property. “Residents taking re-
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sponsibility of their attractants is vital as they are the ones having to deal with encounters at various times of the day – it’s for their safety and security of preventing an encounter when entering and exiting from their residence. “Even when we have a trap set, many times the neighbourhood attractants are too abundant that the bear has no interest in the trap.” McIntyre said once a bear has been at a residents and has been rewarded, it will
remember the location and the probability of returning to the food source is highly likely. Other reasons for the abundance of bears include high water levels, free vegetation, hot weather and low berry crops. Leaving unsecured attractants on any land where people are likely to be; that could attract dangerous wildlife is a $345 charge under the Wildlife Act, McIntyre said, adding, the offense doesn’t
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even have to have a bear being a nuisance in the area, it’s addressing simply the action of unsecured attractants. A Dangerous Wildlife Protection Order will be issued, ordering the resident to secure their attractants, failure to comply results in $575 fine. CO Service recommends people carry bear spray and bear bells when travelling through trails. “There is a lot of discussion that bells will attract a bear,” McIntyre said.
“That is not correct, bells are metal which is a nonnatural sound in nature and it will give the wildlife a chance to leave the area as it makes them aware of your presence, this is a preferred response than a surprise encounter. “The bear spray is a method of defense if the wildlife does not back down, it can be used on cougars as well.” If you have a conflict with problem wildlife call RAPP 24hrs/7 days a week 1-877-952-7277.
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