Expect a busy bear month in Kamloops

The staff of Changes salon on Hillside Drive raised the most money in Canada among Aveda concept salons during a fundraiser for a water project in India spearheaded by WaterCan, a Canadian charity. Changes will send one of its own to India to see the project the salon helped support. Jen Akins (holding the plaque from WaterCan) raised the most money and will fly to India in November. The staff, left to right: Jamie Leadbetter, Sara Thomas, Stephanie Whyte, Annaliese Goulet, Leianne Anderson, John Anderson, Andrea Trafford, Melanie Prince, Jennifer Akins (with daughter Olivia) and Stacey Dockrill. 

MICHAEL POTESTIO PHOTO/KTW

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September is expected to be a busy month for bear activity as bruins continue their search for food before the winter months begin.

“Their drive to feed during the month of September is probably even stronger than August,”  said conservation officer Darcy MacPhee. “It’s an extremely important time for them to build up fat resources for hibernation, so they’ll be feeding full-time.”

MacPhee noted another mother bear with a couple of cubs has been spotted feeding near the B.C. Wildlife Park a few days ago.

Hot weather in August saw a flurry of bear sightings in Kamloops, including one that chased some people in Juniper and a mother and her cubs that were seen strolling around McArthur Island Park.

The bear in Juniper hasn’t reappeared, MacPhee said, adding he has not received any more reports about that particular bruin.

The family of bears on McArthur Island has since moved to the Tk’emlups Indian Band reserve — in the area across Highway 5 from the Sun Rivers development.

“They haven’t crossed the highway,” MacPhee said.

Meanwhile, the cubs of a mother bear that was struck and killed on that highway last month have not yet been found.

MacPhee has fielded a few calls about the cubs, but callers have not been certain of their location.

“It definitely looks bleak for them. I can’t say for sure what the outcome will be, but certainly it’s a much tougher life without guidance from the sow,” MacPhee said, estimating the cubs’ chances of survival at slim to none.

Glen Grant, general manager of the B.C. Wildlife Park, said the park does not have a role in finding those bears.

He said the park does not rehabilitate bears, noting there is not a facility to house the cubs.

Most importantly, MacPhee said, people need to be vigilant in ensuring there is no food for bears to find in their yards, such as garbage, bird feeders and fruit.

“It’s really in the bears’ interest as well as the peoples’ interests to just take a few minutes and have a good look around their yard and make sure they’re not being part of the problem,” he said.