Lions Bay Bear Smart
Do your part to keep our bears alive
Fruit Trees are an Easy Target
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Pick fruits off the tree as they ripen and then store them indoors. Ripe fruit has a high caloric value and is highly sought after by bears as a preferred food source.
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You can also pick fruit before it ripens, and then let it fully ripen indoors.
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If you don’t want the fruit or can’t use it all, consider letting others pick some or all for their own use.
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If you don’t want the fruit, consider removing the trees altogether.
Use Bear-Resistant Waste Containers
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Never store your garbage or food/organic waste outside unless it’s in a bear proof enclosure.
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Only put your garbage and food waste out after 5 am on collection day - it’s the LAW.
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Freeze smelly garbage in a plastic bag and add it to your food waste on collection day.
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Do not store food in outdoor fridges and freezers.
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Be proactive in encouraging neighbours and help educate them about bear attractants.
Keep Barbeques Clean
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Barbeques and drip pans should be cleaned after each use since grease and fat are a high calorie food source for bears.
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Barbeques should be kept locked inside a bear-proof shed after they have been cleaned.
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Covering a cleaned barbeque will further help to reduce the transmission of food odour.
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A barbeque stored within a shed that has an un-cleaned grill or drip pan will still attract bears and will likely lead to property damage.
Be Vigilant With Composting For Your Garden
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Do not add any meat, meat by-products, fish or cooked fruit & vegetables to your compost heap..
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Sprinkle lime in your compost. Lime helps the composting process and reduces the odour.
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Covering the compost with a light cover of dirt or soil or a heavy cover of grass clippings will also assist with odours. LEARN MORE
Keep Pet Food Inside and Locked Up
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Pet food should be kept in an airtight, non-odorous container and locked inside residences.
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Pet food should not be left outside.
The Old Adage is True! Bears Love Beehives and Honey
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Beehives are a high calorie and high protein food source for bears and they love it!
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Protect hives with electric fencing.
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Placing beehives on platforms with an overhang of two metres or more can be an effective deterrent.
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Wiring beehives together with metal strapping can also help prevent damage to beehives.
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Don’t set up beehives during early springtime when other sources of food for bears are not available or may be scarce.
Bird Feeders are Irresistible to Bears
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Birdseed and suet are high protein and caloric food source for bears.
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Use bird feeders only in the winter when bears are denning and natural bird food is limited.
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Take bird feeders in at night.
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Keep the ground underneath the feeders clean and free of bird seed.
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Fill your feeders regularly with just a small amount of feed, which will decrease the reward a bear would receive if it does get to your feeder.
