BLACK BEAR FACTS:

#1 Most important black bear fact: If you report a bear in Nova Scotia by calling Lands and Forestry, the police, or whoever, and they catch it, it will be killed. They are not conservationists. Do not report or share any information about bears in Nova Scotia unless you want the bear to be shot and killed. That is the only possible outcome at the current time. If you share information about a bear's location to the media, or on social media, you are endangering its life and the lives of its cubs.

Other Black Bear Facts:

The only type of bears in Nova Scotia are black bears

Number of people killed by black bears in Nova Scotia (ever) - 0

Number of documented black bear attacks in Nova Scotia - 0

Number of provinces with black bears that have some sort of rehab programs - all of them except Nova Scotia.

Documented rescue, rehab and relocation success rate (in other provinces): High.

Range of black bear - 6-10 sq km. Though they are dormant a substantial part of the year and don't go anywhere.

Forest and land in Nova Scotia safely suitable for bear - 43,000 sq km.

Nova Scotia bear population? No one knows. We haven't done the work to find out. DNR uses a standard rule of thumb (they use it on many animals) that .5% of the population is reported road kill and works back from there. Any intro stats student could tell the weakness of this plan. Eg: road kill in NS is never a problem because it is by definition never more than .5% of the population. (head spin). Conversely, the more that are reported killed the more there are so we never have to worry about them being endangered. And of course, bear population is the main and only determining factor in them being hit by cars. (something right out of Catch-22)

What do black bears eat? Most of their diet consists of grasses, roots, berries, and insects. Yes, that's right, they eat bugs, not people.

Cubs stay with moms for two years or more to learn the ways of the forest and build the size and strength they need to survive winter. If you ever see bears together they are moms with growing families.

Black bear mothers are not known to violently protect their cubs (contrary to popular lore)

Black bears live 15-20 years. Though a few on record lived over 30.

Black bears are part of our wildlife heritage and we should not be so harsh or fearful to wish for their extermination. With a respectful but not fearful attitude and an understanding of why problems occur we can safely correct most situations that arise.

Beyond natural population limits of food and territory, there are sufficient responsible, knowledgeable, and passionate bear hunters in Nova Scotia to keep the population in check during controlled seasons of hunting who make good use of every part of the bear they hunt.

Few people ever see a bear in the wild because for the most part bears do all they can to avoid human contact. If you've ever seen one you are very fortunate.

What should people do if they see a black bear in the wild? Basically, enjoy it. Make yourselves inconspicuous to watch them longer before they discover you and run. To make the bear run away, step out and wave and say “Hi, I’m a human!” Some advice on the net is to avoid eye contact and avoid running away, but there is NO documented instance where doing these things has precipitated an attack. None. Fearful people usually report “I ran one way and the bear ran the other.”

Just because someone saw a bear does not mean it should be killed. This has been the Nova Scotia government's strategy for a generation and it is out of step with other provinces, outside the mainstream of best practices, and out of tune with the tenor of the times.

Best thing you can do for bears? Don't feed them or give them the opportunity to feed on unnatural food.

Second best thing you can do for bears? Write to the premier and your MLA and ask them to bring Nova Scotia's rehab policies up to national and international standards.

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