Wednesday May 22nd. There have been many reports of mountain bikers encountering bears on Fernie trails the last few days. Fernie is Bear Country. Be prepared and expect to encounter wildlife, bears, moose, cougars…

Daily Grizzly Bear sightings on River Road Extension, Roots and Uprooted trails. A biker was bluff charged by a bear when he surprised it at close range on Black Forest Trail in Mt Fernie Provincial Park.

For more information on bear safety visit wwww.bearaware.bc.ca and watch the movie Staying Safe in Bear Country available at the Fernie Library and the Fernie Info Centre on Highway 3.

Friday May 17. A runner encountered a black bear cub on Fairy Creek trail behind the Chamber of Commerce, where the new development is proposed. Please use caution in this area, make noise to warn bears of your presence to avoid surprise encounters and do not litter on the trail.

For more information on Bear Safety visit http://www.bearaware.bc.ca and follow us on facebook, Elk Valley Bear Aware.

Bear Aware and the Fernie Mountain Bike Club worked together to put up signs at major trail heads to remind trail users that “Fernie is Bear Country”. Like humans, bears prefer the path of least resistance and also use our trail network!
For more information on bear safety visit http://www.bearaware.bc.ca

Monday May 13.  There have been several reports of a grizzly bear on Uprooted Mountain Bike Trail

Remember, the safest bear encounter is the one prevented.  Travel in groups and during daylight, make noise to warn bears of your presence, carry bear spray and know how to use it.

 Please report wildlife sightings and incidents where there is a threat to human safety to the Ministry of Environment 24-hour hotline at 1-877-952-7277. This allows officers to identify current hot spot locations and work with both residents and bears to encourage bear use of natural habitats and food sources before the bear becomes habituated and/or a safety concern. For more information on bear safety please visit www.bearaware.bc.ca

Spring is the best opportunity we have to prevent bears from learning bad habits by ensuring that our properties are free of attractants (unsecured garbage, dirty BBQ’s and bird feeders).   If bears get the upper hand early by feeding in our back yards, it will be hard to make them wild again.

After a long cold winter and high snow pack bears are just starting to emerge from their dens and will move great distances in search of newly greening plant growth, carcasses melting out of the snow, or other potential food sources. Residents living in bear country should also start the spring by assessing their yard to identify and remove any potential attractants.  Bears are frequently drawn into residential neighborhoods by the promise of garbage and other attractants.