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The City of Nanaimo reported on Monday, Sept. 21, that a bear had been spotted at Colliery Dam Park in the upper dam area, where an off-leash dog park happens to be located.<\/p>\n
Brown said there have been multiple recent reports of bears in the area, which isn\u2019t surprising.<\/p>\n
\u201cOver 50 per cent of black bear attacks are due to dogs and that\u2019s usually because people who have their dogs off-leash let them roam further, dogs might be interested in an animal and might accidentally aggravate that animal and come back to the owner bringing the animal with them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nanaimo has a dozen off-leash dog parks,<\/a> including at Westwood Lake Park, at the opposite side of the main parking lot, near the scene of a reported aggressive bear<\/a> in the early summer.<\/p>\n \u201cIf there\u2019s been reports in these areas maybe keep their dog on-leash, if they\u2019re with children make sure they\u2019re closer than usual,\u201d Brown advised.<\/p>\n Historically, Brown said most Nanaimo area bear sightings tend to be along greenspaces on either side of the Nanaimo Parkway and in the Chase River area, typically removed from well-established populated centres of Nanaimo.<\/p>\n Food attractants like green bins have long been a lure for bears, Brown noted.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople are putting their bins out overnight and it\u2019s such a common practice that bears will go to the same areas on a weekly basis.\u201d<\/p>\n She noted some bears don\u2019t hibernate at all, which is why people should be vigilant at all times.<\/p>\n \u201cWe see black bear activity well into November and it\u2019s definitely possible to see bear actively year-round, especially when we don\u2019t get a lot of snow and the temperature doesn\u2019t really drop below zero.\u201d<\/p>\n A statement from the BC Conservation Officer Service (BCCOS) noted bears may be traveling further to look for food.<\/p>\n People are advised to not give bears a reason to linger in communities.<\/p>\n Bears are entering hyperphagia, which is where bears consume high volumes of daily calories leading up to winter, according to the BCCOS.<\/p>\n \u201cToo often, bears become food-conditioned because garbage, pet food, birdseed, and other attractants are not properly secured. We all have a role to play to prevent human-wildlife conflicts,\u201d the BCCOS statement read, which noted fallen fruit, specifically apples, are a common seasonal attractant for bears.<\/p>\n Additional information to prevent human-wildlife conflicts are available at WildSafeBC.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n Any wildlife conflicts can be reported to the BCOSS via the RAPP line at 1-877-952-7277.<\/p>\n Subscribe to our daily news wrap. Local news delivered to your email inbox every evening.<\/a> Stay up-to-date on everything Nanaimo and Oceanside.<\/p>\n info@nanaimonewsnow.com<\/a><\/p>\n Follow us on: Twitter (X)<\/a> | Bluesky<\/a> | Facebook<\/a><\/p>\n