Photo: Samantha Holomay

Early bear activity has closed parts of the Great Northern Rail Trail ahead of schedule.

The Cottonwood Lake to Hall Siding section of the Great Northern Rail Trail is now closed due to increased bear activity.

The annual trail closure comes at an earlier time than it has been in previous years.

The City of Nelson issued a statement explaining that the annual closure goes towards helping decrease the number of human-bear interactions as bear populations continue to become more prevalent amid the changing season.

A lack of natural food availability often forces bears to seek out human-generated food sources in urban interfaces, which causes them to leave their dens earlier in the season.

This usually results in bears becoming food conditioned and human habituated, thus leading to human-wildlife conflict.

When urban populations extend into wildlife's natural habitat, it can greatly impact bears' ability to safely forage, reproduce, and seek shelter and solace. This also negatively impacts bear's natural behaviours and increases the chances for more human-wildlife conflict, according to WildSafeBC.

The city has asked residents to respect the trail closures and to remain alert as bears and other wildlife are more present on the trails.

Making lots of noise when hiking, using the buddy system and keeping your dogs on a leash while on the trails can help you from having an unwanted and unfriendly meet-up with a bear.