It’s Bear Season and the City of Castlegar would like to remind residents to be Bear
Aware.
Fall is the busiest time of year for bear activity in Castlegar. In order to survive
hibernation, bears enter a period of food obsession called “hyperphagia” in the fall.
During this time, bears will spend 20 hours a day searching for high calorie foods,
consuming up to 20,000 calories a day! This is roughly equivalent to 300 apples every
day. This search for food also brings bears into town and often into conflict with people.
Reports of bear sightings and conflicts in Castlegar overall this season have been up
from last year, with the last two weeks being especially busy for bear activity.
“Hungry bears are moving into town in search of food and, unfortunately, they are
finding it! Unnatural foods like garbage, unpicked fruit, birdseed and pet food can be
found all over town, free for the taking. Once bears have figured out how to access
these foods, they will go to great lengths to get them again and again. These “food
conditioned” bears often end up having to be destroyed, all because of careless
attractant management. If residents secure bear attractants, bears will almost always
move on”. - Jenny Wallace, Community Coordinator, Castlegar Bear Aware.
Keep our community safe and the bears wild by following these simple tips for
managing bear attractants responsibly
• keep all garbage securely inside garages or sheds until the morning of collection
day
• pick all fruit from trees as it ripens and clean up all windfall below
• take bird feeders down until bears go into hibernation (November or December)
• Feed pets inside, or be sure to bring in all dishes and uneaten food at night
For further information on what you can do to bear-proof your property, please contact
Jenny Wallace, Community Coordinator for the Castlegar Bear Aware Program at
Castlegar@bearaware.bc.ca or 250-365-8971 or visit the Bear Aware website at
http://www.bearaware.bc.ca/.
If the bear is threatening, persistent or aggressive, call the Conservation Service Officer
1-877-952-7277 (RAPP) or your local police 250-365-7721.