Awareness - Who?

Who?

Who?                              What?                        When?                         Where?                         Why?                         How?

Source: BearAware BC

Who Has A Problem?

We Do!

True or False? Complaints about Black Bears
in BC doubled between 1992 and 1999?
Bears in BC

Each year in BC, several people are attacked and injured or killed in encounters with both Black Bears and Grizzlies

What's the Problem?

According to Bears In BC:

Ministry of the Environment figures (2001)

BC Conservation Officers receive nearly 12,000 problem bear complaints each year

The trend of bear attacks is increasing as the numbers of bears and the number of people increase

The increasing use of the backcountry means there are more opportunities for bear encounters

Did You Know? More females and cubs die because of these human-bear conflicts
 Source:  http://www.bearsinbc.com/pages/03admin/03goabc.html 

 Source: Bear Aware BC

But So Do The Bears!

What do you think?
Approximately a thousand bears are destroyed each year in BC because we think they are a threat to our safety?
Bears in BC
Read how bears often get A Bad Rap!

In the past, some bears were translocated (moved somewhere away from their original location):
- At least 50% of the relocated bears die immediately
- Most will eventually die of starvation
- Or they will be killed by resident bears (bears who already live in these areas) who are protecting their territories

According to Bears In BC:

Ministry of the Environment figures (2000)

About 900 Black Bears and 50 Grizzlies are destroyed every year in BC by Conservation Officers because they are considered to be a nuisance:

Bears are almost always looking for the next meal

And when a bear gets used to finding food around where people live, it becomes a 'problem' bear

But when there is a problem, the bear takes all the blame and is often killed!

http://www.bearsinbc.com/pages/01black/01conflicts.html

So who's complaining?
- People are complaining about nuisance bears...
- Probably the bears are complaining about us too!

Read more... Does Relocating Bears Really Work?

Black Bear Sources:  Bears In BC - Bears Aware BC - N. A. Bear Center
Grizzly Sources:  Bears in BC - Grizzly Bears In BC - BearSmart BC

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