While numbers vary widely year to year, bear dispatches, or mortalities, trended downward with 8 in 2024 compared to 76 in 2023.
Preparing for another spring and the emerging ursus, is Nicole Botten, President of the Northern Bear Awareness Society. While she has a number of tips to manage our own behaviour to prevent human-bear interactions in town. CFUR also talked to UNBC’s Lauren Harding, who repeats Botten’s emphasis on the central attractant in our townsite, garbage.
Harding hopes that eventually Prince George can achieve Bear Smart status by adopting proactive strategies, centrally around waste management. She reassures residents that even composting in bear country can be safe provided certain steps, described by local non-profit REAPS, are followed.
Comment from the City of Prince George was not available before time of publication.
Story also available on frequencynews.ca, 88.7 FM in Prince George—Lheidli T’enneh, and cfur.ca/listen-live Mon-Fri 7:30am & 5pm PST
CFUR Radio Society’s journalist, Ian Gregg is funded by the Local Journalism Initiative (LJI) through the Community Radio Fund of Canada (CRFC).