Bear encounters on the upswing in spring

Wildfires and flooding can affect how wildlife moves

Cyclist Kevin Milner was rounding a downhill corner on a North Vancouver trail last Monday when he hit another road user crossing in front of him.

The collision – which sent Milner flying and left him with a broken scapula, cardiac contusion and other injuries – didn’t involve a car or another cyclist. Milner’s bike had T-boned a black bear.

“The last thing I saw of the bear before the accident was just him running,” said Milner.

Authorities are warning that with spring in full swing, bears across B.C. are emerging from their dens and encounters with humans are on the rise.

Shelley Fiorito, a community co-ordinator with the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen in B.C.’s southern Interior, said her phone is already buzzing with people sharing their interactions with bears.

“We’ve had a couple of really warm spells in the last couple of weeks, so everything is getting nice and green in the valley bottom,” Fiorito said. “The wildlife is coming down … they are looking for forage and sources of water.”

Fiorito said disasters such as wildfires and flooding can also affect how wildlife moves in the region, leading to more potential human encounters with bears.

The district said bear-human interactions reached new highs there in 2022.

B.C. Conservation Officer Service statistics meanwhile show 479 black bears were killed by its officers over the past year ending in April.

Fiorito said food waste in garbage could be attracting the animals.

Bears can smell five times better than dogs, the district said in a news release. Its advice to avoid drawing bears into a neighourhood includes freezing smelly food waste, removing bird feeders and storing all garbage in a secure area.

Ellie Lamb, director of community outreach for the Get Bear Smart Society, said bears are active in May, as mother bears show their cubs around fishing spots and foraging grounds.

“That could be anywhere in her home range where she lives and she teaches these young bears how to survive, who to be careful of,” said Lamb.

Extra caution is needed around mother bears, said Lamb. Hikers who encounter bears on trails should give them space by moving off the trail and letting the bears walk by, with bear spray in hand, she said.