Conservation Officer Service must be restructured from the ground up.

From April until October, COS killed 486 Black Bears

Bears are being killed in British Columbia communities and cubs are being left to die by the Conservation Officer Service of BC. This is a cruel and unsupported action against our wildlife and the people of our province are calling for a Change. People who understand bears generally do not believe bears become “habituated” nor subscribe to the theory that bears become “food conditioned.” Neither of these labels used by the COS to kill bears are representative of bears, neither their nature nor their motivations. Bears for the most part are naturally born comfortable with others and do not, as we are told “lose their fear of people” as they can't lose something they never had. Bears are individuals with individual personalities whereby some bears are social, and some are less so. At the very least bears are best described as tolerant and respectful of others they choose to share space with. For years people have been led to believe that if a bear doesn’t run away from us, they are “habituated”. This damaging narrative has killed many social and good-natured bears for a hundred years. Another false narrative has been built around “food conditioning”. It is helpful to understand that bears do not “break in, or sneak around," nor do they steal from us. Bears in our community access both natural and unnatural food sources. Bears simply eat what is high calorie and easily available to them. If a bear is in our community, they generally are well behaved. Bears know it is to their advantage to get along with others. It is helpful for people to understand that the bears that enter our communities are generally the more vulnerable population of bears. These bears are young, old, injured, sick or have cubs and they are seeking out our community and the people who live there for safety, this is called “Shielding.” They are trying to avoid seasoned male bears who on occasion will kill a weaker bear. Older males are much more elusive and generally avoid busy areas where people are, and vulnerable bears know this. Also, if it was possible to remove all food sources from the community, a vulnerable bear will usually continue to seek safety in these areas. We as a community can do much better with our attractants, but attractants are not the only reason for bears to be in our communities, bears are also motivated by Safety. There needs to be enforcement available for people who do not keep their attractants secured and continue to bait bears on their properties. These animals are our neighbours, and we will not “get rid” of them, nor is it a desired approach. Communities care deeply for the bears they have come to know. The COS need to listen to the people and respond with kindness towards the bears people have come to care for. Communities are working with community Bear Groups towards co-existence in a peaceful way with these animals. Bears should be able to move through the community and not be killed for being a “safety risk” when they are not. Bear behaviour and communications educator Ellie Lamb believes NATURE brings pleasure to our communities, and bears are nature. She believes that being respectful and kind is a great working strategy towards the co-existence between bears and humans, and says, “It is important to note that bears are already there, they are just waiting patiently for us to catch up…” Reach out to your local community bear group for educational resources on how to co-exist with bears.