Why are black bears killed more often than relocated?

VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – If you want to keep the bears alive and in the woods, then you should be a little more vigilant with your trash and other items. News1130 is getting to the bottom of why black bears are shot much more often than they are relocated.

While moving a bear sounds like a good idea, it really isn’t, says Mike Badry, the province’s wildlife conflict prevention coordinator. “What happens the vast majority of the time is that bear goes on long distance movements. It leaves that area immediately.”

“It becomes susceptible to all kinds of risks,” he explains. “Being hit on the highway or starving… They will often displace the resident bears in those areas.”

Badry adds once a nuisance bear gets a taste of human food, it will do everything it can to get it again. “The management options to deal with those bears become very limited. Removing them from the population by shooting them becomes the only management option left.”