Conservation Officer Service urges community to “connect dots” regarding bear presence

PRINCE GEORGE – There have been five bears euthanized already this year in Prince George with the BC Conservation Officer Service also stating that the number of bear sightings within city limits is well above normal. A concerning fact according to Conservation Officer Sgt. Steve Ackles.

“The people, as I’ve said recently, are deplorable on the attractant management, the birdfeeders. And when you think about it, any species, this is just common biology, the more food there is the more young they have.”

Ackles describes it as being a “funny loop” we’re finding ourselves in when it comes to residents managing their attractants, especially following footage showing evidence of a bear habituated to a bird feeder in the Pinewood area of Prince George.

“Here’s this young bear that has probably been born in town, people leave this stuff accessible and then they call us and say ‘there’s a bear on my deck, get it out of here.’ The poor bear is only trying to live. If those attractants weren’t there that bear wouldn’t be there, it would be on natural food sources.”