Bear sow and her two cubs spotted near Highway 97 at end of August   photo courtesy Dave Bakker

Prince George, BC – It has been an extremely busy month for bear sightings in the city, particularly in the College Heights and Hart Highland areas.

Bear Aware Community Coordinator, Laura Bass, says the number of sightings for just the first 12 days of September was more than triple the entire month of August – with 86 sightings to September 12th, compared with just 24 in all of August. (bar graph courtesy Northern Bear Awareness Society)

"Unmanaged fruit trees are one of the biggest backyard attractants at this time of year," says Bass.  "And it’s really important to maintain them, and if you can’t maintain them, then you can always give us a call and we’ll send someone out to do it for year."

Bear Aware and the Northern Bear Awareness Society operate an annual fruit exchange program – matching those with too much fruit, to those wanting to pick fruit.  "The interest from thhose looking for fruit has been really strong this fall, so we’re hoping to make more matches," says Bass.

In addition, the society is looking for volunteers willing to participate in an apple/crab apple drive in a few weeks time, in a bid to support the Northern Lights Wildlife Shelter in Smithers.

Anyone wanting more information about the fruit exchange or the apple drive can contact Bass at 778-281-BEAR, or nbasociety@gmail.com

The society will have an information booth set up at the BC River’s Day festival in Fort George Park later today, as well.