Collared Bears Wintered Well

By 250 News

Prince George, B.C. - The three subjects of the local urban bear collaring project seem to have fared well over the winter...

The President of the Northern Bear Awareness Society says the biologist involved in the multi-year research project found three healthy sows and a lot of cubs during her first check of the year in and around the city.  Dr. Roger Wheate says, "They were lovely, they were still sleepy and restful."  One mom had four cubs, the other two had three each. 

Dr. Wheate says, "(Lana Ciarnello) went in at the end of winter to take off the old collars and put on re-charged ones, and to extract the data." The project's goal is to determine which areas of the city are critical in terms of creating problem bears - areas where bears get drawn into the city by berry bushes, then stay because they become hooked on things like garbage, fruit trees and bird feeders.  And to use this data to better manage the city's greenspaces and plan development.

Dr. Wheate says it would be ideal to have between six or 10 bears collared, but there's only funding available to cover the costs of three collars. (click here for previous story)

Anyone interested in the society's Adopt-A-Bear program to support the collaring project can find out more information by clicking here.

Meantime, Wheate is reminding city residents that the bear season is starting up.  "Even last week or the week before, people were reporting a bear in one part of the city, so some of them are up and about - we're starting and we want to do everything we can to reduce the conflicts."

Email | Print | Facebook | Twitter | Digg | Del.icio.us