–Wild Wise Sooke

Bears in Sooke are getting sleepy and are eagerly looking for their last meals before finding a place to sleep through the winter. This year, there seems to be more late fall sightings of bears in our community despite the fact that they should be in the forest looking for a den. Over the past few weeks we have seen increased activity in a few neighbourhoods:

Bear Hot Spots:

• Grant Road area: Haywood & Gatewood, Opal & Talc (and everywhere in between)
• Woodlands area: Steeplechase, Churchill Drive (and surrounding streets)
• Broomhill area
• Phillips & Sooke River Roads

It is critical that garbage is stored inside a secure building in order to prevent easy access for bears. At this time of the year, bears should be going to sleep; however, if we continue to provide unnatural food for them they will continue to stay awake and get into garbage. Please spread the word and secure your garbage so we can keep our community safe and the bears wild.

Habituation is an irreversible state in which bears associate garbage as food- once habituated, they do not unlearn this. It is critical that we catch these situations early and change our behaviour immediately before habituation occurs.

A habituated bear is more likely to act in unpredictable ways- bold despite human presence, protective over their new found food source and this can potentially be very dangerous for us, our children and our pets.

We want the bears to continue to search for natural foods and sleep through the winter; however, this will not happen if they are habituated.

Please report bear sightings and conflicts to Wild Wise Sooke on facebook or email: wildwisesooke@gmail.com

Please be Bear Wise and secure your garbage!

Sam Webb – Community Coordinator
Debbie Read-Urban Wildlife Conflict Specialist

• wildwisesooke@gmail.comm
• Wild Wise Sooke’s website

Resources

• Wild Wise Sooke issues dire warning: clean up your trash or see more bear conflicts
• Preparing for hibernation season in bear country
• Preparation for hibernation puts bears on a massive calorie intake search
• Want fewer bears put down? Manage your garbage, pick your fruit!
• Increased bear sightings, what you need to know, and how to keep bears alive
• Bear sightings at Potholes, between parking lots 3 and 2
• Black bear wants some water play in Sunriver
• A sure sign of spring for residents of Sooke is the return of bears.
• Bear in Area signs emerge from hibernation
• Wild Wise Sooke presents falling numbers in Sooke
• Bear conflicts are on the rise
• Wild Wise Sooke reminds SUNRIVER residents to store garbage indoors and manage attractions
• Reminder from Wild Wise Sooke: Bears are emerging from the hills
• Be bear-wise in Sooke: Bear-proof your yard
• First bear destroyed, Wild Wise Sooke urges education
• Be Bear Wise: Wild Wise Sooke suggests spring cleaning, minimize attractants
• More cougar cautions for Sooke Potholes hiking area
• Good to Know: How to deal with a surprise encounter with a black bear
• A Bear’s Bill of Rights, from Wild Wise Sooke
• The community of Sooke let this bear down, say Conservation Officers

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