A Port Coquitlam man is warning people to secure their organic waste after seeing multiple bears in Coquitlam and PoCo looking for food.
With winter approaching, there is almost no natural food left for the bears to eat but human food can provide a buffet of calories necessary for hibernation.
Bears pick a mountain ash tree clean of berries at Minnkehada Regional Park on Monday. (Tri-City News)
"It's too warm for bears to hibernate so they are out there looking for food right now."
Warburton, who often comments to the media about bear concerns, said he's worried that bears will find themselves in trouble if they stray into neighbourhoods and feed on trash.
He freezes all his organic waste and deposits it into the green cart on garbage pick up day so it doesn't attract bears. "I haven't had bears attack my bins for years now," Warburton said.
On Monday, he visited Minnekhada Regional Park in Coquitlam and spotted a family of bears stripping a mountain ash tree of berries as they seek to fill up on natural food in time for hibernation.
A day earlier, an adult male bear entered cars, broke a screen door at one house and then entered another property on Quarry Road in Coquitlam, trashing the inside of a truck, reportedly taking a box of cinnamon buns.
A trap has been set in the area and Sgt. Todd Hunter of the BC Conservation Office warned people to secure their food waste because bears are especially hungry this time of year and might get aggressive.
"If we're not getting the compliance, we are gong to be taking some hard line enforcement action, bottom lines is we can’t keep this cycle going," Hunter said, noting their has been a spike in bear activity in Port Moody, Port Coquitlam and Coquitlam, particularly near green belts.
