Get Bear Smart - Kimberley

East Kootenay Environmental Society
$7,500
Kimberley, BC

The number of black bears attracted to Kimberley due to the presence of human-generated attractants such as garbage and fruit has been consistently high. The number of control kills as a result of bear/human conflicts in the City during the last 5 years been 10 in 1997, 18 in 1998, 13 in 2000, and 1 in 2001. Data prior to 1997 has not been analysed for Kimberley. However, for the Kootenay area as a whole, the number of black bears killed is staggering. Between 1992 and 2000, the number of bears killed ranged between 161-399 per year.

The Get Bear Smart! Kimberley Program is a long-term program that strives to reduce the number of “problem” bears that are created and killed in the area. The program recognises that the root cause of conflicts is poor community planning and poor management of attractants. By working with everyone in the community to reduce/eliminate non-natural food attractants, food conditioning of bears will be reduced, thereby, increasing public safety and reducing property damage. Our goal is to help the City of Kimberley meet the criteria to become designated as the first “Bear Smart” Community in British Columbia. The management of bear/human conflicts is a shared responsibility and will require the co-operation of everyone. The provincial government, the municipal government, and the local citizens must all participate in order for Kimberley to successfully become “Bear Smart”.

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