Last year was a deadly one for black bears across B.C., but those numbers aren't reflective of Nanaimo, where the stats suggest residents were more bear-smart than in previous years.
"I think on the whole there's compassion for bears in Nanaimo," said Lesley Fox, executive director of the Fur-Bearers. "I think Nanaimo generally has a pretty good reputation as it relates to caring for wildlife and I hope to see it more in the future. Potentially there's an opportunity for Nanaimo to work toward Bear Smart status."
The Fur-Bearers is a B.C. charity working to preserve urban and rural ecosystems and wildlife. The group has tracked the number of black bears killed by conservation officers in B.C. since 2015 through freedom of information requests with the British Columbia Conservation Officer Service.
In 2022, Nanaimo made the list for the top 10 most deadly for black bears by the charity, after conservation officers shot 10 black bears over the year. It was the highest number Nanaimo had since the Fur-Bearers began archiving the data. That dropped to just one black bear put down in 2023.
Fox said weather can be one contributing factor to a season's high numbers.
"If there is a slower spring or summer or too much rain or not enough rain, weather can change the food supply and the availability of natural food sources which can change their pattern of behaviour. If they can't access their natural food sources they might try to supplement their diet by eating everything they can."
She added that attractants, like garbage, can cause the bears to hang around public areas.
"There are many contributing factors to black bears being killed, the deciding factor however, is it's the conservation service that pulls the trigger, so ultimately they are accountable. It's their service weapon and they have discretion whether or not they want to use their service weapon, so that ownership solely lands on them."
According to BCCOS guidelines, a bear is listed in 'Category 1' if it poses "a serious threat to public safety, have caused significant property damage and/or are injured or suffering from distressed health. They include animals that have attacked, injured, killed or fed on a human and/or attacked, injured or killed a domestic pet or livestock. It may also include bears that have entered temporary or permanent dwellings."
The guidelines state that any Category 1 bear will be killed if an investigation determines a serious threat to public safety, if significant property damage has occurred, or the bear is injured or suffering from distressed health.
Across B.C. in 2023, 603 black bears were put down by conservation officers, an increase from the average of 535 since 2015.
The communities where the most bears were put down were Prince George with 76, Kamloops with 31, Mackenzie with 28, Smithers with 24, Quesnel with 22, Burns Lake with 17, Vanderhoof with 17, Squamish with 11, Fort St. James with 11 and Fraser Lake with 10.
Fox said the high numbers speak to a broader lack of government success in general education and enforcement.
"It's such a heart-breaking issue, because I feel it's something we can do something about. It's absolute nonsense that the B.C. government kills hundreds and hundreds … of black bears every single year."
The annual data can be found on the Fur-Bearers website at http://thefurbearers.com/bc-black-bears. Many communities haven't been included for 2023's data by the Fur-Bearers due to challenges obtaining data. The number of bears killed in Nanaimo was provided through a separate News Bulletin request to the BCCOS.
