Number of bears killed by B.C. conservation officers up 65 per cent this year

The number of black bears destroyed by the B.C. Conservation Service is up sharply over last year.

It says 373 have been killed from April to the end of August, an increase of more than 65 per cent from 225 in the same time period last year.

WildSafeBC co-ordinator Frank Ritcey says a very late spring led to a food shortage for bears, which left some coming into communities and getting into trouble.

However, Ritcey reports that bear complaints have dropped by 26 per cent as a lot of the conflict bears have been removed.