Yes, it’s normal to see black bears this time of year

Don’t be surprised if you spot a black bear or two this time of year in the Tri-Cities.

While most of them have gone into hibernation, some are still wandering around — common on the south coast of B.C., with its mild climate and access to food year-round.

Carla Parr-Pearson, the admin of the Tri-Cities Bear Aware Community Group on Facebook and the bear awareness and safety coordinator for Tri-Cities Bear Aware, said she saw a bear just the other evening, walking around her street. She’s also heard of several other recent sightings around the Tri-Cities.

“They do den,” she said, “but there’s always going to be some stragglers.”

Sometimes, bears will also hibernate but wake up and wander around for a bit, according to Carresse Selk, Coquitlam’s senior manager of environment.

“That’s really common. Every year we’ve got bears that are active throughout the winter months,” she said.

This is why Parr-Pearson and Selk stress the importance of Tri-Cities residents practicing bear safety all year long.

“There’s no single date after which [bear] attractants are no longer a concern. They’re always a concern,” Parr-Pearson said.

Bears are attracted to food, so it is important that people store their garbage carts, green carts and recycling bins in a garage or wildlife-resistant shed, rather than outdoors. Those carts should be put out the morning of collection, not the night before. Freezing food scraps is also a good idea.

And for those who feed birds in the winter, Selk said hang the bird feeders high enough so bears can’t access them, and clean up any fallen birdseed off the ground. 

As the Tri-Cities grow and develop what was once bear territory, these practices are increasingly important to avoid human-bear conflicts — which can result in the killing of bears if they become desensitized to humans.