Bear encounters in Kimberley have decreased in 2024 as the community improved animal attractant management.
In the WildSafe BC annual report, Community Coordinator Danica Lisk says residents have done an excellent job at keeping their properties clear of garbage and fruit that may attract wild animals.
“We hit the ground running with our bin tagging program, which removes those attractants early on so bears can’t find them,” said Lisk.
“We tackled the surrounding areas of the community because if you work from the outskirts-in, that’s our way of keeping bears from getting through the perimeter and into town.”
Garbage, gardens, fruit trees and bird seed were the top bear attractants in Kimberley this year.
“Unfortunately bird seed was a big attractant this year. We’re going to take measures next year to tackle this, particularly in the spring and fall,” said Lisk.
Lisk says WildSafe worked to gather public sentiment about the presence of bears around the community, with 225 out of 233 survey respondents saying they like having bears in the area, but have some safety concerns.
“They recognize that we live in bear country. Bears have been here way before humans and we need to learn how to co-exist with them,” said Lisk.
“Because the community is adopting these bear safety measures, it’s reassuring for community members and tourists. Tourists like coming to an area where residents can coexist with wildlife and still feel safe.”
This data comes from a survey WildSafe conducted in Kimberley to gauge the public’s actions and knowledge about bear safety.
“We can put this data into a bear hazard assessment that speaks to what community members are willing to do and work towards, which is that Bear Smart status and reducing bear encounters in the community,”
“Next year, we’ll be focusing on what exactly people are doing to help reduce conflict and how can we build on that. Storage for attractants is a huge issue in Kimberley, so that is something we are working on for a cost-share program.”
Lisk says she and WildSafe are continuing to work towards getting Kimberley Bear Smart certified, which involves education, attractant management and resident participation to better coexist with the animals.
“The City of Kimberley has done such a fantastic job. I want to give a big shoutout to the solid waste management staff, the administrative staff and bylaw,” said List. “In conjunction with WildSafe BC, they’re showing that bear reports have decreased, with 105 this year. I wanted to thank the City for all the work that has been done behind the scenes and I’m looking forward to another year.”
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