My Sea to Sky Stories…

Around 8:30 pm last night, I heard a massive thump. My first thought was that the cat had jumped off our roof onto our recycling bin. So when I looked outside the window and saw a massive bear dragging our Carney’s “bear-proof” garbage can down our driveway, I was a tad shocked. In retrospect, I think the more shocking part was that we had gone as long as we had without SEEING bear activity around our home. They’re there. That’s the reality. And one that we need to be responsible about.

A quick confession: I darted between the window and the storage cabinet more than once, trying to grab a hold of my camera. After all, he (or she) was absolutely beautiful- large, but not completely filled-out, with luxurious brownish hued fur - a younger one, I imagine. My inclination was to take a photo to post on facebook to make jealous my friends and relatives who live in the “other” parts of the world where this encounter is not commonplace. As I mentally composed the photograph, however, I realized that I was doing a complete disservice to the animal- how “majestic” can one appear in a driveway, mauling a garbage can?

I had just put the garbage out a couple of hours prior. With the warm weather lately, it was decidedly time for it to be removed from my kitchen. Where it clearly attracted the bear’s attention.  And THAT’S when the guilt hit me: the bear had been attracted to our garbage…leaving the forest to forage through mouldy food scraps and dirty diapers. Just a tad depressing, really.

Trying to recall “bear management techniques”, we resorted to yelling, and making noise to chase the bear away. Hoping it would get the idea that houses and people were areas to avoid. After it had left our yard, and started to saunter down the street, we THEN became concerned about our neighbours, and their children. Many of whom may still be enjoying the warm late evening sunshine. Crap.  Now what? We’ve just made the bear someone else’s problem…

According to the BC Bear Aware website:

“What should I do if there is a bear in my yard (urban situation)?

First, ask yourself “what has attracted the bear to my yard?” Second, call the Conservation officer Service at 1-877-952-7277.

• Do not let the bear feel comfortable in your yard. If you are concerned about confronting the bear, make a loud, preferably low frequency, noise (e.g. bang pots together) from the safety of your house.
• A bear in your yard should never be a welcome sight. You must take quick action to eliminate attractants after the bear is gone. A bear that finds food once is likely to return to that spot. A returning bear will learn that the food is no longer available and will seek a meal elsewhere if you eliminate the food source.
• Never approach a bear, even on your property. Do not allow anyone else to approach the bear. Ensure that there are no people, especially children nearby. A frightened black bear will likely look for a tree to climb. A sow with cubs will stay in a tree longer than a single bear. Keep people away from the base of the tree. Be patient and give the bear time to leave.
• If you see a bear from a distance, STOP, never run, as the bear may chase you just as a dog would do. Climbing a tree is not recommended as even a grizzly may climb after you. If the bear has NOT seen you, you should leave the area quietly. Go to a safe place (anticipate where your child may encounter bears and identify safe areas, such as homes displaying a Block Parent sign or people your child knows and can trust, to your child ahead of time) and tell an adult. If you see a bear and bear sees you, back away speaking in deep, low tones at a normal volume.

• Teachers or parents should practice with children and show them the following:
  • this is how big you should make yourself,
  • this is how you should back away.
  • this is how loud your voice should be, and
  • this is how deep your voice should be.
   
  Practise will embed this information in the child’s mind for the future. While this should be a learning experience done in a “fun” manner, the children should be well aware of the importance of the message. Reinforcement is critical.
  Establish a consistent phrase for the child to repeat while backing away. For example, teach children to say in a low deep voice “hello bear, I won’t run away. You can stay and play; I’ll come back another day.” These words are all low sounding phonetics and not high pitched. By establishing a consistent phrase and having children memorize the phrase, the development of a learned behaviour occurs. Remember practice, practice and practice.
  Encourage your children’s school to establish a protocol for behaviour when a bear is seen in or near the playground. The children should all practice the protocol until they know what to do and who to tell when a bear is seen at or near the school.”

This morning, as we walked around the neighbourhood, we spoke to many people who were dealing with the damaged fences, gates, sign posts, and, sadly, empty rabbit cages in their yards. The bear (or bears) have been hanging around our small town lately, and have definitely made their mark. Now we just have to pull together and do our part to keep the bears from making it a habit.

Starting now.