It’s that time of year again.

Bears are foraging for extra food to fatten up before they den. At the same time, ripening fruit is drawing bears into Tri-Cities neighbourhoods.

According to Coquitlam Bear Aware co-ordinator Drake Stephens, bears need to eat about 20,000 calories per day to prepare for denning.

“From now until the end of October, that’s when the fruit’s around. Supplement that with some garbage, and they’re trying to put on that extra poundage right now,” Stephens said.

“They’re going to lose 40 per cent of their body weight during the denning period, so they have to gain that same amount.”

Stephens advises Tri-Cities residents to pick any unwanted or fallen fruit. SHARE Family & Community Services has launched a pilot project to provide extra fruit to food bank recipients. Volunteers are available to pick fruit from trees, if needed.

“At this time of year, the attractant changes to not just garbage but fruit — apples, plums and pears. So they’ll go from back yard to back yard and they can end up quite a ways from the mountains,” Stephens said. “Too many people are leaving fruit unpicked, and as it ripens, it becomes a real treat to the bears.”

However, garbage remains a temptation to bears as well.

Port Coquitlam resident Diane Arnold was surprised to see a bear snacking on garbage in the Mary Hill neighbourhood last week.

“He was laying right in our front yard Wednesday night. In fact, one of our neighbours came within three feet of him,” Arnold said.

“We’re just a little concerned and we’d like people to know about it because we’re right across from Robert Hope Park, and that’s where the outdoor swimming pool is. We also have an elementary school close by.”

Arnold said she has never seen a bear before in this part of Port Coquitlam.

“We’re on Humber Crescent and that’s where he was. We don’t know how he got up this far. We never see them here. We never get them in Mary Hill,” Arnold said.

“He was laying right there in the front lawn. Let me tell you, he was stretched right out and munching away, not a care in the world. Let’s just say he doesn’t like tomatoes. He ate everything else. It was strewn between two lots … If he knows that there was food here, he’ll be back again.”

Although bears are not a common sight in this area, Stephens said they have easy access to Mary Hill from the Coquitlam River or through Colony Farm.

“Over the last few years, we’ve established that they can show up anywhere in the Tri-Cities at any time,” Stephens said.

According to Conservation Officer James Kelly, more than 1,000 bear sightings have been reported in the Tri-Cities since April 1.

In Coquitlam, there have been 571 reports, compared to 297 in Port Coquitlam, 190 in Port Moody, 20 in Anmore and about five in Belcarra.

“There’s not much food,” Kelly said. “It’s a very poor year for berries, so the bears are looking.”

Kelly stressed that residents should secure their garbage in bear-proof containers. As well, he recommends they use an air horn as a deterrent.

“They’re inexpensive and they work really well,” he said. “If they’re going out to do gardening in their backyard … and then a bear comes into their yard, it’s a great tool to scare them off.”

Kelly also said that people should avoid getting too close to bears.

“Give the bear space,” he said. “Sometimes people want to get a little close to bears to get their photos. They are still wild animals.”

Bear sightings can be reported to the B.C. Conservation Officer Service at 1-877-952-7277.

For information about bear attractants, contact Stephens at 604-927-3554.

For information about SHARE’s pilot project, contact Leanne Beatty at 604-931-2451 or leanne.beatty@sharesociety.ca.

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