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“A NORTH VANCOUVER resident refused to cooperate
with conservation officers affer he was (old 2 bear ‘inc his
neighborhood would be destroyed. 4

By KIM PEMBERTON
News Reporter

- Resident: Bert Cowan said he
contacted the officers, expecting
they would relocate the bear and:

“her two cubs to a remote area, but
was told that would be impossible,

‘T-asked to have them live trap
it and cremove-it,’ but’ 1 was ‘told
“even if, they live trap it, the bear
will be destroyed,’ Cowan, said.
.. **bdon't think we have fhe right
to, kill’ bears just: because they’re
“there... Sure’ we* have. an > over-
“population of, bears, but we have
technology: We should be able to
remove theni to a remote area.”’
“=. Cowan said when he learned the
~bear would-be destroyed, he ref-
used to tell officers where the bear
‘and her. cubs were located.

: Senior conservation © officer.

Bruce Lemke, from the Ministry of
Environment, explained bears are
destroyed if they pose a‘tiiteai*to

human tife or property...

“Some times we have to destroy
bears in live traps, but not usual-

“dy,” he said.

' “We do it when it’s-a garbage
habituated. bear. it’s a proven fact

they were released. ;
“My ininistry is seriously con-’
cerned about the number of recent
black bear incidents, especially in
North Shore communities,” Pelton
_said, in a written press release.
“We are fortunate Jin’ British
Columbia that we have the oppor-
tunity. to five at such close quarters
with wildlife. At the same time, we
must show them a healthy respect
if we are to reduce. the number of
potentially dangerous encounters.’
“An authority on bear behavior,
' Professor Stephen. Herrero from
the University of Calgary, said all
residents must take responsibility to
‘*bear-proof’ their environment.
“Socan accept conservation of-
ficers shooting them, provided all
steps have been taken for the city
to be bear-proofed. If people don’t
want the bears to be shot, the way
is to keep from attracting them.
“dvs an unusual situation when
they show up in vrban areas. ft on-
ly occurs: when there’s a failure of
their natural food crop,"’ :
in the Lower Mainland,-up until
Aug. 31 this year, conservation of:
. ficers have received 909 bear com-
plaint calls, compared to 378 last
year, oe ‘
Officers attended 335, and

once they become garbage habitu-.: handled §1/ bears.: OF the bears
ated bears they don’t rehabilitate’ “handled, 68 were destroyed and 13
to the wilds."" were relocated. .

“Minister. of - Environment — and Lemke said public cooperation is
Parks Austin Pelton. said--..needed to ensure bears are not at-
“relocating bears. in the Lower ~ tracted to residential areas. -
‘Mainland is) usually out of - the He said people should frequently
question. . remove garbage, keep pet food in-
:» He ‘agreed. the majority of side the house,. store a barbecue
relocated bears either return to the after use, and ‘remove. food items
original area or continue to forage from gardens, . such as: fruits and
for garbage near the place where. berries.

NEWS photo Teny Petars :

“A“UMEMBER of: the West. Vancouver Fire: Department. practises CPR ‘ona im’. of a train fire'and
xplosion in a focal ‘underground ‘tunnel Friday. The: mock. accident: oceurred: halfway’ between Fish-
erman’s Cove and Horseshoe Bay, and was organized by the focal fire acpartment'as 4 rescue exercise
yperation, BC Rail, West Vancouver Police and Emergency, Health Services were also involved in the ex-

4 Chief Grant Bott of : WVFD jsaid this was the first time.an exercise was done involving the tunnel,
“und initial reports indicate the emergency crews did well. He said the exercise allowed the fire department: §
to’assess the problems associated with a tunnel emergency,.such as getting equipment inside the tunnel,” g

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