Members of the Sunshine Coast Bear Alliance are pleased with a decision by the District of Sechelt to begin replacing garbage cans downtown with bear-proof containers.
Diane Henley, a founding member of the alliance who holds a bachelor of animal science degree, says anything the district can do to discourage bears from being drawn to the downtown area is a good thing. Henley says not only was it easy for bears to get into the old bins, they could also knock them over and the garbage would spill out onto the sidewalk.
“The district has been really supportive and proactive with getting a lot of the bear-proof garbage bins in Sechelt and the parks department just responded so quickly and replaced the regular bins, which are so easy for the bears to get into,” says Henley. “With the bear proof bins, they can't access the garbage. So that's just wonderful of them to do that so quickly.”
Henley says bears have an incredible sense of smell, so while they might initially still visit the garbage cans, once they figure out there’s no food source, they’ll eventually stop. She notes it’s vital to keep these urban animals moving along so they don’t become a safety risk.
“So that's the idea, taking away the easy food reward and it's a challenge because, and I understand, unfortunately not every resident has a closed garage, so then they have garbage in an outside garage,” says Henley.
If that’s the case, Henley advises putting ratchet straps on top of garbage cans to secure the lid, then attaching the bin to something stationary and, finally, spraying the outside with Pine Sol.
“That may be enough to keep them moving along and not accessing that garbage for food,” she says.
Les Dornbierer, manager of Public Works and Operations for the district, says six wildlife-proof bins and one large bear-proof garbage and recycling bin have been installed along Cowrie Street in downtown Sechelt. He adds there is just one non bear-proof bin left downtown.
“This will help to reduce the bear activity in the downtown area,” Dornbierer said in an email to Coast Reporter.
An earlier email from the district, noted the bins also prevent people from dumping household waste into them.
Henley says at this time of year, Sunshine Coast bears enter their period of hyperphagia: hyper meaning "over" and phagia meaning "eating." Bears enter this biologically programmed state in order to gain sufficient fat stores prior to winter denning. By the time a bear is ready to den he/she may have doubled their body weight from springtime.
She says as summer winds down, bears will forage for natural and non-natural food sources 22 hours a day and can devour thousands of berries during that time. As fall arrives acorns and nuts offer a more calorie-dense option. A pound of acorns contains 1,700 calories, while a pound of blueberries only has 260 calories. It’s estimated at this time, bears need to consume ten times the calories needed during spring and summer.
She notes bears always remember their previous food sources, particularly the high calorie and more easily obtainable options, but the need for important fat gains can see them travelling farther than their usual home range, at times crossing busy roadways to do so. She adds, despite being sleep deprived, bears are so keenly focused on finding food that they may not be alert enough to hear someone approaching or notice them at all. Unfortunately, this is also often a time when bears may engage in behaviours such as trying to enter homes or campgrounds and they may become more protective of their food sources.
Tips from Sunshine Coast Bear Alliance to help avoid unwanted encounters and keep yourself and bears safe:
- Pick fruit and don't let windfall accumulate.
- Secure garbage bins: if storing outside, secure bin lids with ratchet straps and attach can to a stationary object.
- Spray bins with Pine-Sol cleaner (original scent only).
- Rinse all recycling containers and do not store in your vehicle.
- Only place bins at the curb the morning of collection.
- Keep cars free of ANY odorous item (even lip gloss, a gum wrapper or scented cleaning products) and keep doors and windows closed and locked at all times.
- Do not leave pet food outside and remove bird feeders, if you have not already done so.
- Clean barbecues and grease traps regularly.
- Keep chickens and other livestock secure with electric fencing, and store grain indoors.
- Keep canine companions on a leash.
- Please keep windows and doors closed to avoid a surprise visit by a curious bear.
- Assess your deck area and crawl spaces for potential denning sites and secure as needed.
- Drive with caution especially during dawn and dusk periods always making sure if a bear has crossed the road that cubs are not toddling after mum.
For more information visit the Sunshine Coast Bear Alliance at scbearalliance.com.
