A bleary-eyed bear stumbled into a Colwood front yard for a break from a busy evening searching for food on Tuesday (Sept. 17).
Video footage from a Colwood resident, who asked to remain anonymous, shows the bear wandering onto their property, located on the border of Colwood and Langford, where it stops for a quick rest and a big yawn.
"I love that it just plops down in the middle of the driveway," said the resident. "Pure exhaustion from the night’s activities."
According to the resident, the bear casually sniffed around their property before continuing its hunt for food elsewhere.
"Definitely a big yawn at the end," said Mollie Cameron from Wild Wise, a Sooke-based volunteer-run educational program promoting coexistence with wildlife. "I don’t think the video is concerning at all, just a bear wandering through, stopping for a rest."
Whilst the Colwood sighting is of no concern, it does serve as a timely reminder to locals to be more vigilant as winter creeps closer and bear activity steps up a gear.
In preparation for hibernation and to build up fat reserves, bears enter a phase called hyperphagia, which can see them consume up to 20,000 calories a day.
"That's like eating dozens of cheeseburgers in one sitting," said Wild Wise in a news release.
With their appetite in overdrive, hungry bears will sometimes venture further from their natural habitats into residential areas in search of easy food sources such as garbage, bird feeders, pet food, and even unclean grills or compost.
To help reduce these human-wildlife encounters and to promote coexistence with our wild neighbours, the City of Colwood recently announced it was partnering with Wild Wise as part of a new education initiative for 2024.
The city is also considering a new bylaw to ensure all residents store and dispose of their garbage responsibly, to help discourage curious bears and other wild animals from snacking in residential areas.
The City of Langford has also been encouraging residents to be ‘bear aware’, posting reminders on social media about how to be more responsible.
“When bears associate humans with food, they can become food-conditioned or habituated,” continues Wild Wise. “Over time, this can lead to escalated behaviours where bears get too comfortable in residential areas, increasing the risk of conflicts. Sadly, these conflicts, if escalated, can end in the bear being relocated or euthanized for public safety.”
To prevent habituation, Wild Wise recommends:
- Storing garbage securely.
- Removing bird feeders.
- Regularly cleaning outdoor areas, including grills, patios, and outdoor kitchens.
- Securing pet food and compost, storing items in bear-proof areas.
- Properly securing livestock.
- Picking ripe fruit from trees.
“Let’s all do our part to protect these incredible creatures by keeping them wild and safe,” said Wild Wise. “Bears are a vital part of our ecosystem, and their ability to thrive - especially for females and their future cubs - depends on us being responsible and practicing good attractant management.”
