More people are voicing criticism over a mother bear being shot in a provincial park near Maple Ridge, and her two young cubs taken to a wildlife shelter.
The Fur-Bearers, a wildlife protection organization, is calling on BC Parks to strengthen education, enforcement, and waste management practices in provincial parks following the death of the mother black bear in Golden Ears provincial park last week.
“When it comes to provincial parks, there is a higher expectation of compliance and attractant management,” says Lesley Fox, executive director at The Fur-Bearers. “These are protected areas and should be safe places for both people and wildlife. More needs to be done to prevent wildlife encounters from escalating – and those steps begin with BC Parks staff, not the BC Conservation Officer Service.”
The BC Conservation Officer Service (BCCOS) put the bear down late Thursday, May 28, after being asked to assist BC Parks with the “aggressive sow black bear.”
Conservation officers killed the bear to ensure public safety, after multiple reports of conflict in the park, said the BCCOS. The bear had an extensive conflict history in the park and displayed behaviour that showed no fear of people. They said it had broken into vehicles, and entered a tent and multiple campsites looking for food.
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The Fur-Bearers said better attractant management, public education, and early intervention are essential to keeping bears wild and preventing future tragedies.
Golden Ears Park is prime black bear territory – over 600 square kilometres of forest, ideal for numerous black bear families. Bears should be an expected presence, yet commentators indicate that visitors aren’t being bear smart – and neither, seemingly, are the parks’ policies and priorities, said the Fur Bearers.
They ask how many tickets or orders were issued by BC Parks Rangers related to this bear, prior to them calling the BCCOS to kill her. Did they try hazing, or aversion tools, and with what frequency, to scare the bear away.
“Knowing that this park is a hot spot for both bear activity and human recreation, what steps have been implemented to prevent the killing of bears in future?”
BC Parks could consider hiring a wildlife safety response officer, similar to a recent move by the District of Ucluelet. This is a specialized position focused on preventing wildlife encounters through compliance initiatives, enforcement and education, the Furbearers suggest, adding that with the park’s close proximity to Maple Ridge, there may be an opportunity for a cost-sharing arrangement with the city.
This bear was named Scratch, for a mark on her nose, said Ellie Lamb, a bear guide and member of wildlife organizations.
Lamb, from Coquitlam, said Scratch was never aggressive to people, never entered cars, the tent she entered was abandoned and contained food, and “she always left when asked.”
“The area was littered with food and trash, and expecting her to delicately step around a Twinkie on her own trail is absurd,” Lamb said in an online post.
The Maple Ridge Black Bear Society, which works hard to educate the public about attractants and bear behaviour, also called for more enforcement and fines for campers in the park who leave food and garbage available to wildlife.