73 bears euthanized in Prince George this year

PRINCE GEORGE— It has been an unprecedented year involving the number of bears in the city with the B.C. Conservation office recording just under 4,000 calls from August 1 to September 30. From January 1 to September 30, 73 bears were euthanized due to risk to the public.

However, it isn’t a local issue. Across B.C. there were 11,360 calls involving black bears and 401 calls involving grizzly bears.

While the increase in bears in the City can be contributed to a number of factors, on August 2, Bowinn Ma, Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness, told CKPG that the drought has had an impact on available food in the forests.

Our wildlife is also being impacted. Warmer environments due to climate change have prolonged life span of moths that feed on Hemlocks and Douglas Firs, allowing them to inflict a more severe impact on local trees. I’m hearing of stories of bears wandering into communities looking for food because of the drought’s impact on berry crops. These impacts are real and substantial and we’re having to put in restrictions to protect our waterways and ecosystems.