Many natural food sources have dried up and bears are getting hungry

COQUITLAM (NEWS 1130) The number of bears spotted looking for a garbage meal is on the rise in parts of the region bordering forest. Their natural food sources have dried up in the drought this summer.

It’s been so warm and dry that the berries came out early. They’ve dried up now, leaving the bears without the natural food source for this time of year. There’s still a ways to go until it’s time for hibernation.

The City of Coquitlam is noticing bear activity has been on the rise over the last couple of weeks. More calls coming in to conservation officers about nuisance bears. Drake Stevens with the city says nature’s timing usually keeps the bears full, but the drought is messing with that. “There’s always something coming ready for the bears. It’s salmon berries in the spring and then huckleberries and then blackberries. They’re all staggered at the time of readiness so it helps them… even grasses subsidize a lot of their diet. Just eating succulent, green grass and if that’s dried up they just follow their nose to the next food source.”

That usually ends up being things like garbage and bird feeders. Stevens reminds that in Coquitlam, there’s a bylaw prohibiting putting your garbage out any time other than between 5:30 and 7:30 on the morning of pick up day. There will be bylaw officers doing night patrols to catch any rule breakers.

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