It is entirely common to see a bear roam in urban areas in search of food. Bears had long associated people with garbage as food source, specially when humans encroach near natural bear habitat. Bears are incredibly smart. One meal from a garbage bin is enough make a bear a regular visitor. Once he is conditioned to garbage, he will also most likely to check out all other bins around the neighborhood, which post risk to both humans and the bears themselves. There are bear sightings common on the Traboulay PoCo Trails, which criss-cross and encircle Port Coquitlam. No worries, bear attacks are extremely rare. Trail walkers are advised to be cautious and follow simple rules to avoid people-bear conflicts.
- Travel in groups
- Be cautious specially with fresh signs of a bear: droppings, smashed logs, scratches on trees, over-turned boulders.
- Make some noise so that bears will know that you are on the trail. The best way is to fill an empty water bottle with pebbles and shake it often.
- Keep children close and dogs on the leash all times.
- Avoid wearing strong perfume.
- Avoid using headphones.
- do not panic, let him know that you are not an easy prey.
- slowly walk away- but do not run,
- let him walk away if he hasn’t seen you, do not cut off his escape path,
- maintain a safe distance of 100 meters,
- speak in a calm but clear voice, this helps him identify you are human.
- have a bear spray ready and be sure to know how to use it.
- call the conservation office if a bear is seen around the neighboorhood.
Minimize things that may attract a bear.
- Put out garbage in the morning, during pick-up days only.
- Seal away all garbage bins, use the ones durable enough against bears.
- Clean and tuck away barbecue grills after use.
- Pick up ripe fruits right away.
- Remove outdoor food storage such as vending machines, freezers and bird feeders.
- Compost pits must be sprinkled with lime to reduce odor, fruits and eggshells should not be added to the pit during summer or fall.
Actually it is human carelessness that creates problem bears. Bears will keep a safe distance from us if they will not find anything attractive enough like food. If we will continue to respect wildlife we share space with, then conflicts and endangerment will be reduced.
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