Contributed by WildSafeBC
In the last few weeks there have been two separate incidents in Revelstoke where bears have either tried to enter houses or have actually broken in. Revelstoke has been lucky in the recent past; there have been no really serious conflicts with bears. However, this year looks set to a busy one for bears. “Two mild years with good wild food have probably increased the natural bear survival rate,” said Sue Davies, coordinator for WildSafeBC, “which means that pressure on town food sources will be on the increase. If bears come to town in search of food, it is everyone’s responsibility to ensure that they don’t find anything.”
So we know there are bears in Revelstoke, but where exactly? WildSafeBC is now making the presence of bears highly visible on the street. Observant residents of the Big Eddy, CPR hill, Columbia Park, Arrow Heights, and Red Devil Hill areas will have noticed bright yellow lawn signs stating that there is a bear in the area and asking that all bear attractants are secured.
“I get to know where all the bears are because people report them to the RAPP line”, said Davies “and I wanted everyone else to know too. So I thought I’d put up those very visible signs. I’ll be putting them there only for a day or two, so if you see one you know there is a really good reason to make sure your property is not going to be the one attracting the bear.”
If you see a sign, please ensure that your garbage is locked away, your fruit trees are harvested, your barbeque is clean and locked away, your birdfeeder is taken down for the summer, outdoor fridges and freezers are secured against wildlife, and your pet and livestock food is securely stored. These are the primary things that bears and other wildlife such as coyotes tend to get into.
For more information on managing wildlife attractants please visit www.wildsafebc.com. To report wildlife sightings or conflicts with wildlife please call the RAPP line at 1-877-952 7277.