It’s time to refocus on bear awareness

As hungry bruins emerge from their winter dens, a local government is reminding residents to be bear aware.

“Convenient, unnatural food sources draw wildlife into communities, creating safety concerns for wildlife and residents. Bears can smell five times better than dogs. Rats and raccoons are also welladapted to smell out possible food sources,” explained the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen in a press release.

The best methods for keeping animals moving along are:

• Storing all garbage in a secure area, preferably a lockable garage or shed.

• Washing all food and recyclable containers thoroughly before placing in bins or setting aside for depot drop-off. This can be done using a diluted bleach and water mix in a spray bottle.

• Freezing potentially smelly leftovers or scraps, especially meat and fish, and waiting until just before pick-up to place them in the garbage container outside.

• Removing bird feeders. Birdseed is a high-calorie snack for a hungry bear.

• Waiting until the morning of pick-up to put garbage on the curb for collection.

Wildlife conflicts or sightings in urban areas can be reported to the BC Conservation Officer Service anytime at 1-877-952-7277.

Reports are uploaded daily to the WildSafeBC Wildlife Alert Reporting Program website at: warp.wildsafebc.com. This allows the public to see if wildlife has been reported in their neighborhood and be alerted to new sightings.

The system shows two bear sightings in the Penticton area over the past week: one in Sage Mesa and the other on Lakeside Road near the Skaha Lake dog beach.