Bears intensify search for food

“At this time of year, bears start trying new things,” she said.

She advises people to pick any leftover fruit from trees and keep garbage and pet food inside, especially at night.

She says bears are usually afraid of people, but they might still move around during the day while searching for food.

Because bears focus on eating before winter, Buchanan says residents should consider what food might be available around their homes.

Dave Bakker, a member of the Northern Bear Awareness Society, says two main behaviours explain how bears interact with neighbourhoods.

One behaviour is learning where to find food, and the other is getting used to being around people.

Bakker says people often mix up food conditioning and habituation, even though they mean different things.

“Food conditioning is when an animal gets used to eating unnatural food sources,” he said.

He explains that bears can learn to find garbage and other food in neighbourhoods.

Bakker says habituation means an animal gets used to something. For bears, it means they become comfortable being around people.

“So when bears get used to people, they don’t see them as a threat,” he said. “And that’s when conflicts can happen more often.”

He points out that learning where to find food is different from getting comfortable around people.

Buchanan’s main advice is to secure any food that bears could reach. She says this is especially important now because bears are exploring new places. Her list includes pet food, birdseed, garbage, and fruit people might leave outside.

Buchanan says bears in an area might return to these food sources as they search for calories.

For anyone worried about seeing a bear, Buchanan says the reporting line is open 24 hours a day at 1-877-952-7277 (RAPP).

She asks residents to call if they think there is an immediate public safety threat. Officers will follow up on those calls.

She also mentions that seasonal decorations like Halloween pumpkins can attract bears, so bring them inside at night.

Her main message to residents is to keep food out so bears can’t find it around their property as they look for calories before winter.

by Dave Branco

Bears intensify search for food

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