This mama bear was caught raiding garbage bins in Kamloops, B.C.
Wildlife expert says people should keep their distance if they see a bear in an urban neighbourhood
A hungry mama bear resorted to dumpster diving for an evening snack this week in Kamloops, B.C., and she brought her cubs along for the adventure.
Shawn King was out for a walk in the Valleyview neighbourhood of Kamloops — about 167 kilometres northwest of Kelowna in the Interior — earlier this week, when he spotted a bear teaching her cubs how to forage for trash.
"It was knocking over all the garbage cans on the street," King said on CBC's Daybreak Kamloops Wednesday morning.
King said the bear moved from bin to bin, pulling out bags of garbage and eating their contents, as two cubs tagged along behind.
The video he took from afar was shared by his neighbour on Facebook.
It shows the mother hopping up on an embankment on the side of the road and then rummaging through a trash bin as her cubs struggle to hop over the embankment.
"Mom was looking pretty hungry," said King, adding he saw about five knocked-over garbage bins on the street.
King says he has seen bears do this in his neighbourhood in the past, and puts straps around his garbage bin to keep it sealed.
The City of Kamloops has a Bear Smart bylaw that prohibits residents from putting their garbage on the curb earlier than 4 a.m. on collection day.
"When bears begin to utilize human-provided food sources in a community, it creates the potential for human-bear conflict," reads their website.
Best practices
Wildlife safety expert Ted Traer, who formerly worked for the society and charity WildSafeBC, says it's common to see bears out of hibernation foraging for trash this time of year.
"Wildlife moves in and around our communities, and they're always looking for a free, easy meal. So anytime they can find it, they're going to grab it," Traer said, adding that people should ensure their food is kept indoors and not easily accessible to wildlife.
According to WildSafeBC, black bears account for between 14,000 to 25,000 calls per year to the B.C. Conservation Officer Service.
"While most bear encounters result in the bear leaving an area, they can become more assertive or destructive when they have learned to associate humans and their activities with food," WildSafeBC says on their website.
Many municipalities have hefty fines for property owners who leave garbage out and attract bears, including Port Moody and North Vancouver.
If people see a bear foraging for food in an urban environment, Traer says they should keep their distance and call the Conservation Officer Services.
"A lot of people think oh they're cute, I want to get close, I want to get a selfie ... bad idea, don't do it."
With files from Daybreak Kamloops