Keremeos latest community to issue bear warnings
Published 5:30 pm Tuesday, September 22, 2026
The Village of Keremeos is the latest community in the Interior to issue a warning about bears being spotted nearby.
A Sept. 21 notification distributed to residents said the bears had been spotted in all areas of the Village.
In August, the City of Penticton issued a warning over a bear being spotted in the Wiltse area, and close the end of the month another bear was spotted on the other side of the valley in the West Bench area.
A bear that wandered into a Pharmasave in Hope on Sept. 20 was found and had to be euthanized, after having already been tagged for interactions with people. Another bear cub was found dead on a Kelowna trail on Sept. 8, however that was due to a being attacked by a larger bear.
Another bear cub was found in the middle of Okanagan Lake on Sept. 12, where it was rescued by a family of boaters.
The Village of Keremeos issued a reminder to take extra precautions while going out and to avoid attracting bears.
With the summer heat fading and fall approaching, bears will begin preparing for the winter hibernation, which means seeking out food in order to fatten themselves up.
Steps that can help avoid attracting bears include the following:
* Use motion lights and lock vehicles
* Store garbage securely inside a locked garage or shed until morning of collection
* Pick ripe fruit and vegetables right away and clean up any that have fallen to the ground
* Keep an eye on children and animals when outside, keep pet food indoors and avoid feeding pets outside
* Remove bird feeders as seed and suet offer high calorie counts
* Manage compost properly by turning piles often, avoiding meat or fish scraps, and adding lime to reduce odors
* Clean barbecue grills and burn off grease after every use