Conservation officers urge ‘common sense’ after black bear put down in Port Moody

PORT MOODY (NEWS 1130) – Another black bear has been put down in the Lower Mainland, this time a mother in Port Moody, as conservation officers prepare for more conflicts over the long weekend.

The sow’s three cubs are safe and have been moved to a rehabilitation facility.

Deputy Chief Chris Doyle with the BC Conservation Officer Service says people need to be careful if they’re out camping.

“Certainly the biggest thing that they need to do is to look after attractants around their campsite,” says Doyle. “So, they don’t want to leave any food out that’s accessible to bears. They don’t want to leave any garbage that’s accessible to bears. Those types of items should be stored in either a food storage locker or a food cache or in a hard-sided piece of equipment like a vehicle.”

He says B.C. is bear country, so campers can run into wildlife pretty much in any part of the province.

People in their homes should also take additional care.

Doyle says all garbage should be placed in bear-proof containers and kept inside garages or the house.

For the most part, Doyle says, people are getting the message on being mindful of bears in their communities.

However, it only takes one or two people in a neighbourhood to attract bears to the area.

“It’s definitely frustrating that there’s a small percentage of people that just aren’t getting the message,” says Doyle.

RELATED: Parts of Mundy Park closed as black bear family roams

Christine Miller with the North Shore Black Bear Society says she’s “disturbed” by the number of bears being killed.

“We would prefer the families remain intact,” says Miller. “I don’t know what behaviour necessitates killing the mother like in Port Moody.”

She says she knows conservation officers have a difficult job, but they may not be getting the resources they require.

“I believe that the conservation officer services is understaffed, and so sometimes, some of the decisions they have to make might be affected by that. I also think that there’s some policies in place that need to be changed.”

Miller says she is happy the three cubs were able to be taken into rehab, but wishes the mother was as well.

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