Any bear hanging out in a small park surrounded by suburban neighbourhoods, such as Bow Park in Saanich, is likely in “serious trouble,” says a Vancouver Island bear expert.
Crystal McMillan, executive director of Bear Smart B.C., a consulting firm that works with municipalities to manage contacts with bears and other wildlife, said a glance at maps shows the bear has likely grown too comfortable with people for its own good.
“He’s just not going to be able to get through all those neighbourhoods without having some interactions with humans and human food sources, like garbage and fruit trees,” McMillan said. “I would suspect he has been into anything and everything, by now.”
McMillan was commenting on a Saanich police report of a bear Monday in Bow Park, a small natural area less than two hectares in size near the Braefoot area north of McKenzie Avenue.
The police advisory was the result of a bear sighting near the park’s small pond at about 9 p.m. Saanich police officers found nothing.
Conservation officer Peter Pauwels said with only one report, his department is taking a watch-and-see attitude as opposed to direct action.
He doesn’t know how the bear could have reached the park without being seen a number of times. “At this point, we are just going to wait and see.”
The Bow Park report is the second sighting of bear in or near Greater Victoria’s residential neighbourhoods in the past week. A bear was also reported Sunday morning at Royal Roads University in Colwood.
Pauwels doesn’t believe the two reports could be generated by the same animal. The distance between the areas is too far and too densely populated for a bear to travel without raising more alarms.
However, Pauwels said bear sightings in Greater Victoria aren’t unusual, especially around rural areas.
“There are lots of berries out there. … They follow food sources and end up in places you don’t expect.”
McMillan said at this time of year, bears are obsessed with eating to put on fat in preparation for heading to a winter den.
Mature females can be especially driven to eat. They might have mated, but bear biology delays the implantation of any fertilized egg until the potential mother has put down sufficient fat. “They are moving into what we call ‘hyperphagia.’ … They are eating machines on paws right now,” McMillan said.
She warned residents to have garbage in secured bins or to not put it out until pickup day. Ripe fruit should be harvested and blackberry bushes cut back.
Walk in groups, keep children at hand and dogs on leash. Alert neighbours and let them know about items that can attract bears, such as a dirty barbecue or improperly tended compost.
Finally, report sightings to police or wildlife conservation officers.
“We always want to be concerned about public safety and wildlife protection,” McMillan said. “Every property owner is the first wildlife manager.”
