Prince George, B.C.- It’s a busy time  for  Conservation Officers  dealing with  calls about bears says Chris Doyle, Deputy Chief of the Conservation Officer Service ” Bears are emerging from their dens across the province and they are hungry and searching for food.”  He says the Conservation Office  is already receiving complaints about bears in  conflict.  Garbage continues to be a strong attractant for bears and  Doyle reminds residents and businesses to do their part to prevent  bear-human conflict “by containing  garbage and other attractants in bear proof containers or buildings.  It’s  an offense under the BC Wildlife Act to negligently store attractants that  may attract dangerous wildlife.   It’s also  an offense  to feed dangerous wildlife.”

Bears may be  chowing down on vegetation  that is alongside  busy roadways  says Doyle  and that  creates a hazard for  humans and bears “This creates ‘bear jams’ where we see a large number of vehicles stopping  for the  motorists to look at the bears.  These ‘bear jams’  are hazardous for the motorists as well as the bears. Bears are  often approached, or fed, and they also, at times, will dart out into traffic and at times get struck by motor vehicles.  So we are reminding motorists not to stop on busy highways to view bears and of course,  to never approach or feed a bear.”

Doyle says  COs have  been enforcing the Off Road Vehicle Act  across the province and numerous  charges and warnings have been issued.

“Some common violations include operating unregistered snowmobiles and ATVs, failing to  display registration as well as  operating ORVs without helmets” says Doyle.

Doyle says recently ,  six snowmobilers were charged with operating  snowmobiles  in the  Callaghan Conservancy ,  a protected area near Whistler.  “The violators were located during a multi agency  patrol involving the COS,  Natural Resource Officer and a B.C. Parks Ranger.”