Bear sightings on the rise in Prince George

Reports of bear sightings have been increasing in Prince George, as many residents have reported their sightings on local social media pages over the past couple of weeks.

Eamon Mcarthur, Acting Sergeant of the Omineca Region Conservation Office says there has been an increase in bear sighting-related calls, however, that is something to expect for this time of year.

“There is an increase in sightings but it’s a normal increase because of the time of year we’re in right now, all the apples and all the berries are starting to fluster out so bears are starting to search,” he explained.

According to Mcarthur, it is around this time of year when bears work to consume the last few hundred calories before their big winter hibernation.

He says that it is hard to predict exactly when bears will begin their big snooze as it depends entirely on the weather.

“As it starts to cool down, they’ll eventually start to hibernate, but it really depends on the weather because the weather can really throw the animals off, seen in some springs where we get massive warming spells sometimes a bunch of bears will pop out then as well,” Mcarthur said.

Mcarthur says it is important that residence contact the Report All Poachers and Polluters (RAPP) line when necessary.

“For the most part, a bear in Ginter’s Park, if it’s not chasing people and if it’s not being aggressive just be cautious, put dogs on leashes when the bears are around. If it’s wandering door-to-door through the neighborhood then we want people to take steps to avoid that kind of conflict,” he added.

He says people can call the Conservation Office for sightings but often times the call won’t be returned and the information will be utilized in their files.

In order to prevent bear sightings in town, residents are being asked to take measures such as cleaning up their crab apple and fruit trees and storing garbage safely.

“Make sure apple and fruit trees are cleared as soon as possible especially if they’re not going to be used. When it comes to garbage, if you have a garage, we’re asking that people secure their city garbage cans inside the garage as opposed to outside with a strap.”

For households that don’t have a garage or area to store garbage indoors, Mcarthur advises using a ratchet strap rather than an elastic bungee cord to secure it.

Earlier this week, the Conservation Service launched an investigation into the dead black bear that was found in Cottonwood Island Park.