Conservation officers are reminding Colwood residents to wash their recyclables after a bear was caught on camera going for a wander on blue bin day.
Colwood resident Tammy Donaldson videoed a Black bear walking by blue recycling bins laid out on Elizabeth Ann Drive near Wishart and Latoria at around noon on Tuesday (May 30).
In the video, the bear walked down the street, appeared to peruse a recycling bin at the end of the road before disappearing behind some bushes.
To avoid attracting bears and other animals, recycling should be emptied and cleaned, and put out the day of collection, not the night before, reminded a spokesperson for the Conservation Officer Service.
Doing so will help reduce smell and attraction by bears. While bears are out and about during the summer months and Greater Victoria has extensive wilderness where bears might live, the chances of encounters can be lowered.
“Not necessarily, although when bears are hibernating, they’re less likely looking for food. When natural food is abundant, they’re not so much of a problem.”
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