An acclaimed animal welfare charity has put forth the suggestion that municipalities, towns and possibly even homeowners in B.C., be assessed a fee whenever they necessitate the intervention of a conservation officer to tackle a local bear that has become a nuisance due to its adaptation to human-generate food or rubbish.
The charity, known as The Furbearers, posited that this strategy would incentivize local authorities to establish stringent bear-safe guidelines, and likewise enforce them rigidly.
Lesley Fox, the charity’s executive director, candidly expressed that exerting financial impact often effectively compels compliance, stating, “Unless we can prompt a change in habits surrounding the management of attractions, the current behaviors will persist indefinitely”.
The issue of bears becoming harmful due to human activities has intensified recently, making this year exceptionally lethal for black bears. Shockingly, in the span of August alone, 151 bears were culled by conservation officers according to reports.
Fox highlighted that there are well-established measures that can safeguard bears including the removal of unattended garbage, bird feeders, and ripe fruit that lures them. However, numerous cities and towns within B.C. still fall short in terms of having adequate legislation in place for managing these attractions.
Moreover, certain regions repeatedly turn out to be the most highly perilous environments for bears, year after year. It prompts Fox to question why should everyone else bear the burden of compensating for the ones who consistently fail to comply.
Currently, it is the Provincial Government that foots the bill each time an officer is forced to euthanize a bear. However, should the proposal by The Furbearers be adopted, this could substantially change the nature of bear management, and hopefully, bear safety for both the animals and residents alike.
Source : West Island Blog
