Photo: Wildsafe BC

Early spring temperatures have prompted bears to begin foraging and filling their bellies after their long winter sleep.

In West Kelowna, there have been at least four black bear reports in the last two days according to the Wildlife Alert Report Program.

Residents reported seeing the animal near garbage containers and fruit trees in Shannon Woods, Glenrosa and near Shannon Lake.

A Castanet reader said they put their garbage out the night before pickup and were shocked to find a bear lumbering through the neighbourhood minutes later.

Dave Calder, a local resident, who started West Kelowna Bear Volunteers to help get the message out about keeping neighbourhoods safe, says garbage left unattended or put out before pickup day is a major draw to bears.

“Residents should not be putting their garbage out before 7 a.m. on pickup day, and it’s really a bad habit to put garbage out the night before,” he said.

Last fall, Calder’s neighbourhood of Rose Valley had several bears stroll through backyards looking for goodies.

He took the initiative to print pamphlets and stickers with information on bear awareness. Then he rallied volunteers to door-knock in neighbourhoods where there have been a high number of bear sightings to educate them on becoming bear aware.

Calder says he isn’t starting up the campaign again as he hoped most got the message.

“I haven’t seen too many bears in our Rose Valley area yet. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t around.”

According to WildSafe BC, 55 per cent of calls to Conservation regarding bears stem from garbage issues.

To keep your neighbourhood bear-safe, it’s recommended:

• store garbage securely until collection day,
• pick fruit and berries from trees and bushes before it ripens,
• use bird feeders only in the winter when bears are hibernating,
• add equal amounts of brown and green materials to compost — and no fish or meats,
• keep pet food indoors, 
• clean barbecues regularly,
• thin out bush on your property, and
• install motion detectors to keep bears moving through the area