Sooke bear sighting prompts warnings to secure garbage

The Wild Wise Society is urging residents on southern Vancouver Island to secure attractants such as garbage, recycling, compost, and pet food following reports of bears accessing unsecured waste in East Sooke. The organization noted an influx of reports regarding bears seeking food in populated areas, which increases the risk of human-wildlife conflict.

To illustrate the consequences of food-conditioning, the society highlighted a recent incident in Nelson where the BC Conservation Officer Service had to kill a grizzly bear. The bear had developed a significant loss of fear regarding humans and was repeatedly accessing residential properties for non-natural food sources. While the grizzly was killed, its two offspring were relocated to an undisclosed location for monitoring.