One bear killed in Revelstoke so far this year

Only one bear has been killed this summer so far as a good berry crop keeps most bears outside city limits.

Revelstoke Bear Aware Society have reported low numbers of bear sightings in town compared to previous years, however bear activity has increased over the last few weeks.

“(The bears) are currently at the base of the mountains eating berries,” said Maggie Spizzirri, community coordinator for Bear Aware. “We have a good crop in Revelstoke at the current moment, that can change based on weather.”

Spizzirri does expect bear activity to to increase as cherries and other fruits ripen in town.

“We’ve gotten reports of a few bears in cherry trees and just starting to get into the garbage,” said Spizzirri.

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Forest fires effect habitat and will most likely effect bear behaviours this summer as affected populations seek food shelter and water. Some speculate an increase of bear activity due to wildfires however it is unknown how bears will react.

“That’s where the conservation officers are helpful,” said Spizzirri. “They can mitigate, they can say OK we’re tracking the bears and we notice there migration patterns are like this and we can try to scare them away.”

Scare tactics employed by conservation officers work well with bears who are yet to be habituated. As bears get more comfortable these tactics don’t work anymore and officers are forced to destroy the bear in question.

To avoid more unnecessary bear interaction in town, Revelstoke Bear Aware is encouraging residents to glean there fruit trees as well as keep garbage and other attractants secure. Those unable to do so on their own can register with Revelstoke Bear Aware, where volunteers are able to assist.

Register your fruit trees gleaned by emailing gleaning@revelstokebearaware.org. Residents are encouraged to register sooner rather than later.

Last year bears were spotted in a pet store and a liquor store in Revelstoke. As of October, there were seven bears killed in 2020.

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