Despite moving to Squamish from Dawson Creek in Northern B.C. and growing up in North Vancouver, my husband had never seen a bear in real life.
One night he decided to put an end to that.
A bear occasionally visits our yard, judging by the large dark-brown droppings that are sometimes left behind.
While watching late-night Netflix, my husband kept the curtains wide open for an unobstructed view of the forest area across the street.
Around 2:30 a.m., after 30-plus years of not seeing a bear, one slowly strolled across the road and into our yard, rummaged through some leaves and sauntered off.
My husband rushed to wake me and I pretended to be shocked, even though I saw bears nearly every week growing up on the edge of a forest.
Then, after the excitement wore down, he made a remark that I’ve always taken for granted.
“It’s amazing that bears are still around. They’re really big and live so close to us.”
What he says is true.
Yes, bears living near town pose challenges, including safety issues, but we’re also lucky to live so close to them.
Even though fall doesn’t start for three weeks, bears are already gearing up for hibernation.
Conservation officers in B.C. have warned that many of these animals may be short of food because of lower-than-average salmon runs. Berries and other fruit are starting to dry up, making trash their next target.
In Revelstoke, nine bears were recently killed in only one week for raiding garbage cans and becoming indifferent to humans.
This situation is avoidable and it’s up to people – especially those living in a wildlife corridor like Squamish – to manage their food attractants properly.
There are many new residents, including my husband, who recently moved to Squamish and aren’t accustomed to living around bears and other wildlife.
Here are some tips to keeping your yard bear safe, according to the District of Squamish:
– Always use both locks to secure your garbage cans.
– Put your garbage tote curbside between the hours of 5 and 7 a.m. only on collection day and never the night before.
– Rinse out recycling material to reduce odours.
– Freeze the smelly stuff in a plastic bag and dispose of it on collection day. This can take a bit of effort but it’s worth it to not attract bears.
– Don’t leave pet food out overnight, even if it’s covered.
