Elk Valley Bear Aware

Black bear cub seen on Fairy Creek Trail in Fernie

bearawarefernie — Fri, 17 May 2013 18:51:20 +0000

Friday May 17. A runner encountered a black bear cub on Fairy Creek trail behind the Chamber of Commerce, where the new development is proposed. Please use caution in this area, make noise to warn bears of your presence to avoid surprise encounters and do not litter on the trail.

For more information on Bear Safety visit http://www.bearaware.bc.ca and follow us on facebook, Elk Valley Bear Aware.

Fernie is Bear Country. Be prepared and expect to encounter bears on our recreational trails.

bearawarefernie — Tue, 14 May 2013 16:21:20 +0000

Bear Aware and the Fernie Mountain Bike Club worked together to put up signs at major trail heads to remind trail users that “Fernie is Bear Country”. Like humans, bears prefer the path of least resistance and also use our trail network!
For more information on bear safety visit http://www.bearaware.bc.ca

Grizzly Bear Sightings on Fernie Mountain Biking Trail

bearawarefernie — Mon, 13 May 2013 21:24:05 +0000

Monday May 13. There have been several reports of a grizzly bear on Uprooted Mountain Bike Trail

Remember, the safest bear encounter is the one prevented. Travel in groups and during daylight, make noise to warn bears of your presence, carry bear spray and know how to use it.

Please report wildlife sightings and incidents where there is a threat to human safety to the Ministry of Environment 24-hour hotline at 1-877-952-7277. This allows officers to identify current hot spot locations and work with both residents and bears to encourage bear use of natural habitats and food sources before the bear becomes habituated and/or a safety concern. For more information on bear safety please visit www.bearaware.bc.ca

Bear Season is Here, bears seen on Parkland Terrace in Fernie

bearawarefernie — Mon, 06 May 2013 15:34:08 +0000

Spring is the best opportunity we have to prevent bears from learning bad habits by ensuring that our properties are free of attractants (unsecured garbage, dirty BBQ’s and bird feeders). If bears get the upper hand early by feeding in our back yards, it will be hard to make them wild again.

After a long cold winter and high snow pack bears are just starting to emerge from their dens and will move great distances in search of newly greening plant growth, carcasses melting out of the snow, or other potential food sources. Residents living in bear country should also start the spring by assessing their yard to identify and remove any potential attractants. Bears are frequently drawn into residential neighborhoods by the promise of garbage and other attractants.

Bear Aware Program going into hibernation for the winter

bearawarefernie — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 17:04:16 +0000

The Bear Aware Program will be going into hibernation for the winter. Hibernation is an important survival strategy for bears where their main foods- green vegetation, berries, insects and salmon – are not available in winter. However, most bears do not go into hibernation in warm climates where enough food is available year-round. During a period called hyperphagia, bears prepare for hibernation by eating three times as much in the fall as they do in the summer. In the fall, bears need up to 30,000 calories per day to gain enough weight to get through the winter.
In some areas, food-conditioned bears that are used to accessing human food, such as garbage, may not hibernate at all. Most black bears and grizzly bears hibernate for four to six months in the winter, from November or December until March or April. Bear cubs are born in the den during hibernation. However, bears do not go into true hibernation because their body temperature and metabolic rate do not decrease as much as in other hibernating species and they may wake up relatively easily during their winter sleep.
Thank you to our volunteers, funders and everyone who has contributed to reducing human/wildlife conflict in our communities. Ongoing support from the City of Fernie, District of Elkford, RDEK, Columbia Basin Trust, British Columbia Conservation Foundation, Ministry of Environment and Fernie Alpine Resort has enabled us to continue delivering the Bear Aware Program to Elk Valley communities and the South Country. See you in the spring.

Bears and Halloween

bearawarefernie — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 16:50:33 +0000

Happy Halloween. Just a reminder to parents and trick or treaters that bears were seen on Ridgemont Avenue and on 11th avenue in the Annex just a few days ago. There have been no reported bear sightings since October 28th. Please ensure that young kids are accompanied by adults, travel in groups and make noise to warn bears of your presence. If you see a bear, remain calm, back away slowly and leave the bear an escape route. For more information on bear safety visit http://www.bearaware.bc.ca

Bear sightings in Fernie over the weekend

bearawarefernie — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 17:59:40 +0000

Monday October 29. A large black bear has been reported on Ridgemont Avenue getting into recycling and passing through on 11th Avenue in the Annex.

Female bear tries to break into a West Fernie home

bearawarefernie — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 00:07:08 +0000

Thursday october 25th. Bears have learned where there is people there is foood (garbage) and are becoming bolder in their search for food as winter apporaches. A female bear tried to break into a West Fernie home on Mcdonald Avenue last night. She had to be destroyed as she posed a threat to human safety and caused significant property damage.

Bears reported in the Annex and in West Fernie yesterday

bearawarefernie — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 16:26:43 +0000

Wednesday October 24th. A sow and 2 cubs was reported accessing garbage on Hartley St in West Fernie and a small black bear was seen running through the Annex on 11th ave in the afternoon and later at night accessing garbage on 8th avenue.

Bears are still around so be prepared and expect to encounter them and continue to keep garbage indoors to prevent wildlife (bears and deer) to become conditioned to feeding on human food sources. Colder temperatures and snowfall will typically prompt bears to start looking for a winter den, but easy access to food (garbage) may entice them to stick around. Please hold off putting out birdfeeders until bears have moved on to den.

Black bear and 3 cubs seen on Hand Avenue in West Fernie

bearawarefernie — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 15:28:34 +0000

Monday Oct 22. A black bear and her 3 cubs were seen on Hand Avenue late last night. Colder temperatures and snowfall will typically prompt bears to start looking for winter dens. On occasion, bears will remain in town looking for easy food sources. Please continue to keep garbage stored indoors and secure all other attractants and give this family a chance to survive and move on to the wilderness to den for the winter.