The Ministry of Environment is reminding residents to keep campsites and other areas free of bear attractants. (submitted photo/Ministry of Environment)

By Teena Monteleone

Bear Safety

Mama bear and cubs euthanized after becoming habituated around Candle Lake neighbourhood

Jun 23, 2021 | 5:05 PM

Conservation officers tried every tool available to them over the course of several days to try and deter a bear and her cubs from roaming near the golf course and rummaging through garbage in the Aspen Ridge subdivision at Candle Lake before they were euthanized.

According to Inspector Brett Diemert, the compliance area manager from the Ministry of Environment, conservation officers set up and moved bear traps several times in an effort to relocate the animals. They utilized ‘bear bangers’ – essentially a loud firecracker or screamer to try and scare the bears or create an uncomfortable experience so they wouldn’t return.

“Unfortunately, she wouldn’t react to any of that. She had no fear of humans at that point and on June 19^th, she made an aggressive charge at one of the officers and the officer euthanized the bear,” said Diemert. “From a public safety standpoint, with a habituated bear like that, it just became such a concern that it was necessitated.”

The cubs were also euthanized since they wouldn’t be able to survive on their own and government legislation in the province doesn’t allow for the rehabilitation of large carnivores like bears and wolves.

“There’s just no way to release those animals after the fact. Once they’ve been in captivity, they become habituated to humans and see humans as a source of food,” said Diemert. “They lose their fear of people so if you relocate that bear, it’s just moving the problem because they’ve developed such a strong sense of tie between humans and food, and they’ll seek it out no matter where you take that bear.”

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In some cases, rubber bullets are fired at the bears, again in an attempt to make the experience as unpleasant as possible so the bears don’t return. But Diemert said when you have a large enough food source, that sort of deterrent no longer works.

New regulations in Saskatchewan prohibit the feeding of bears, wolves, cougars, and coyotes. A press release from the Ministry of Environment said the regulation was put in place to help alleviate increased concerns related to dangerous wildlife gaining access to human-sourced foods. This includes feeding these animals on the side of the road.

“Resort villages as a whole throughout Saskatchewan struggle with managing garbage and other feed sources,” Diemert said. “People can help us out…bird feeders, for example, are a very strong attractant and bears will feed on leftover seed, or hummingbird feeders are a sweet attractant. Dog food left out…any type of attractant including garbage is a concern.”

While education, prevention, deterrents, and relocation are always options first, a number of bears do end up euthanized throughout the province each year.

“At the end of the day, habituated bears are manmade and we have to do our part to try and reduce that which will prevent future instances like this,” Diemert said.

If you have an encounter with an aggressive bear, or if public safety is at risk, call the Turn in Poachers and Polluters (TIPP) line at 1-800-667-7561 or from your SaskTel cell phone at #5555. To report concerns about nuisance bears, contact the ministry’s general inquiry line at 1-800-567-4224 or by email at centre.inquiry@gov.sk.ca

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Teena.Monteleone@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MonteleoneTeena