Wildlife officials in the western province of Alberta are warning property owners in the foothills west of Calgary to bearproof their backyard bee hives, chicken coops, compost piles and gardens.
The warning comes after several sightings of grizzly bears and cougars coming dangerously close to built-up areas.
On the weekend, two grizzly bears were spotted in Cochrane, about 36 kilometres northwest of Calgary, including one that damaged a chicken coop and ate two hens, Postmedia News reported on Monday.
- Yukon woman killed by bullet husband fired to stop grizzly attack: coroner
- British climbers probably woke up sleeping grizzly
Alberta Fish & Wildlife officers had to tranquilize and relocate both bears northwest of the town. And earlier in the spring, wildlife officials had to move out of the area a black bear.
“It’s all related to food,” Jay Honeyman, human wildlife conflict specialist with Alberta Environment and Parks, said in an interview with Postmedia News. “A big piece of that food is people wanting to raise chickens and bees and not securing them from wildlife like bears.
“Bears are taking the hit for it, as well as the obvious public safety concerns and the property damage.”
Officials say urban farmers need to consider electric fencing or electric matting around their chicken coops, bee hives and gardens to keep the bears out. And anyone living in bear country should carry bear spray and know how to use it in the event of a bear encounter.
Bears are often moved by the province after they threaten public safety, attack livestock or damage property, but research has shown relocation can triple the mortality of the provincially threatened grizzly bears, Posmedia reported.
With humans increasingly encroaching on bear habitat, preventing human bear conflicts is becoming harder to achieve.
Last week Alberta Environment and Parks issued bear warnings for the Canmore Nordic Centre and Grassi Lakes Day Use Area due to “multiple grizzly bear and black bear sightings.”
Bear sightings also forced the closure of at least two trails in provincial parks.
For reasons beyond our control, and for an undetermined period of time, our comment section is now closed. However, our social networks remain open to your contributions.