Canada wildlife management faces scrutiny amid rising bear encounters

Wildlife management and human-bear encounters are facing increased scrutiny across Canada. In British Columbia, the charity The Fur-Bearers is advocating for the reactivation of the Bear Smart program. This follows a resolution passed at the Union of BC Municipalities convention, aimed at securing provincial funding to prevent human-bear encounters and reduce the unnecessary killing of black bears.

Reports from the BC Conservation Officer Service indicate a rise in black bear service calls in the Skeena Region, attributed largely to improper management of attractants like garbage, bird seed, and fruit trees. In Hope, BC, a mother bear and cub recently entered a local pharmacy, leading to the bears being tranquilized by conservation officers.

In Alberta, the Alberta Wilderness Association has raised concerns regarding a significant increase in grizzly bear removals under the province’s Wildlife Management Responder Network. At least 14 grizzly bears have been killed, a sharp rise from previous years, amid calls for greater transparency regarding why these animals are designated as problem bears.

Separately, in Saanich, police utilized a drone to locate and arrest a robbery suspect who had discharged bear spray at a security guard during a shoplifting incident.