Bears in BC - Human-Grizzly Bear Conflicts

As people move into bear habitat, boundaries between people and bears become blurred and conflicts occur. The kinds of human activities which can impact Grizzly Bears most include cattle and sheep ranching, farming, garbage disposal, backcountry recreation, as well as developments associated with forestry, mining, hydro power, commercial recreation, roads, highways and aircraft (Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee 1987).

SOLVING HUMAN-GRIZZLY CONFLICTS
There are many practical solutions to most human-bear conflicts. Garbage can be properly stored. Landfills and honeybee yards can be fenced. Land use planning can be done with bears in mind. Sensitive environmental standards can be applied to new developments. But there will always be situations where existing land uses cannot accommodate Grizzly Bears, under any circumstances. In these cases, it is accepted that human safety and private property concerns preclude occupation by Grizzly Bears.

There is also a growing awareness that humans shouldn't push too far into Grizzly Bear habitat, eliminating the space so necessary for bears. BC's Grizzly Bear Conservation Strategy was designed to address this issue.

DO GRIZZLY BEARS REALLY THREATEN HUMAN SAFETY?
Each year in British Columbia, several people are attacked and/or killed in encounters with Grizzly Bears. This number is likely to increase as the number of people in the backcountry steadily increases. Grizzly bears do attack and kill domestic livestock. And the destroy backcountry cabins. Encounters are commonplace in major big game hunting areas like the Kootenays, Omineca and Peace-Liard.

At Mackenzie, more than 50 Grizzlies were killed or relocated in 1994 and 1995. More than 100 Grizzly Bears were transplanted to a remote area north of Revelstoke between 1983 and 1995. But translocation is rarely a viable alternative. Relocated bears usually conflict with resident bear populations in habitat that is fully occupied. And translocated animals tend to return to their home territories and the site of the conflict.