11 bears killed in Tofino, Ucluelet after breaking into structures to find garbage
Conservation officers are asking residents of Vancouver Island's west coast to report bear sightings as soon as possible as the region deals with an unusually busy pre-hibernation season.
As of Wednesday, conservation officers had been forced to euthanize 11 black bears in Tofino and Ucluelet after the animals broke into structures in search of food.
Sgt. Stuart Bates, of the BC Conservation Officer Service, said he expects that number to rise, as there are other bears in the area that officers are currently trying to capture.
"We've had 337 calls, which is a 425 per cent increase over last year," Bates told CTV News.
While one or two bears can prompt a lot of calls if they're in a highly populated area, Bates said the sheer number of bears that have been getting into homes, sheds and garages is unprecedented in his career.
"I haven't seen a case like this," he said. "We're removing the bears and there's other bears showing up within days and they're already food-conditioned and habituated. I don't know what's causing it."
In one case, Bates said, officers received a call about a bear that had broken into a garage. When officers arrived 30 minutes later, the bear was still there, and the animal gave no indication that it was afraid of the officers.
That level of habituation, in which bears lose their fear of humans and come to view human structures as a source of food, makes the animals dangerous to local residents.
"That's a line that we will not allow our bears to cross," Bates said.
Unfortunately, habituated bears can't be relocated. They're likely to return to populated areas and continue to pose a threat to people they encounter, he said.
Instead, bears showing this type of behaviour have to be euthanized, which Bates said is not an outcome conservation officers want to see. He likened it to having a pet put down.
"It's not a nice thing to ever have to do," he said. "I hope nobody ever has to do it. I hope I never have to do it again in my career, but I know that's not likely."
Confoundingly, it's not obvious what's attracting the bears in Tofino and Ucluelet this year, Bates said. He said officers have patrolled the area on the night before garbage day in search of trash put out at the curb early. They didn't find any.
Now, he's hoping people who see signs of unsecured garbage or other bear attractants will get in touch with the conservation officer service as soon as possible. Deterring bears before they become habituated to humans is safer for everyone involved, Bates said.
"The sooner I know, the more options I have," he said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
U.S. paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official says
The U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.