We love to be the bearer of good news.

Something is going right. Perhaps it’s the education promoted by Wild Wise Sooke. Perhaps it’s the many forms of local media helping to promote the WWS message throughout Sooke. Perhaps people are getting better at putting their garbage out first thing in the morning, and storing it inside until garbage collection day. Perhaps it’s a a little bit of everything.

Whatever the reason, the number of calls and kills for bears are down. Cougar concerns are up a little from last year, but they are still down close to 70% from four years ago.

Wild Wise Sooke presented the following statistics to Council this past Monday night:

Bears: District of Sooke Stats from the provincial database:

• 2013: 441 Calls to Conservation Officers; 16 bears destroyed
• 2014: 278 Calls to Conservation Officers; 4 bears destroyed
• 2015: 234 Calls to Conservation Officers; 11 bears destroyed
• 2016: 135 Calls to Conservation Officers; 3 bears destroyed

The reasons for conflicts between bears and humans:

1. “There’s a bear in my garbage.” This happens when garbage is put out the night before and left out all night, and when garbage is stored outside in a non-bear-proof container.
2. “There’s a bear in my fruit tree.” This happens when unpicked ripe fruit either on the tree or on the ground is left untended.
3. “Bear are eating my chicken (0r other livestock).” This happens with animal feed is left outside, and when there is no electric fence around the livestock.

Cougar: District of Sooke Stats, from the provincial database:

• 2013: 116 Calls to Conservation Officers; no other stats available
• 2014: 81 Calls to Conservation Officers; 1 cougar destroyed
• 2015: 20 Calls to Conservation Officers; 0 cougars destroyed
• 2016: 35 Calls to Conservation Officers; 1 cougar destroyed

Primary reason for Conflict: FEAR.

So, a tip of the hat to all in Sooke who are doing their small part in order to make larger human-and-wildlife-coexistence more bearable for all in Sooke.

Related

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• The Wild Wise Sooke website is your local wildlife information resource
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• Reminder from Wild Wise Sooke: Bears are emerging from the hills
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• First bear destroyed, Wild Wise Sooke urges education
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• 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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• What a Sooke bear in its natural habitat looks like
• LETTER: A fed bear is a dead bear, and DON’T blame the Conservation Officers!
• From SD62: Bear & Wildlife Safety Reminder – for you and your kids
• VIDEO: Globe and Mail video on Bears in Sooke
• Public Advisory from Wild Wise Sooke: Bears are being habituated in Sooke
• Bear sighting on Sooke Road, close to downtown
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• Bear-proofing your yard for autumn in Sooke