After finding out last week that bears are being euthanized because of irresponsible actions by area residents, I was horrified and disappointed.
According to Adam Mirus, fish and wildlife officer for the Sundre-Olds area, officers have been forced to euthanize a few bears over the last few months because members of the public refuse to clean up their garbage.
People are leaving garbage outside and bird feeders full of birdseed, only to welcome bears into their yards.
And although members of the Mountain View BearSmart Society have been pushing for residents to get rid of bear attractants from their yards, some people just aren't listening.
Mirus said some people are actually not willing to clean up their garbage.
And as a result, some bears have become reliant on that food source, and aren't willing to find their own food anymore, so officers have had to euthanize them.
Once a bear finds food in a yard, it will remember that and return for more.
This is the time of year when bears are trying to find as much food as possible to fatten up for hibernation. Take your bird feeders down and put them out while bears are in hibernation.
Put your garbage inside a garage or a shed or in a bin of some sort – not somewhere that is accessible for bears and other wildlife.
I live in a basement suite and if I am unable to take my garbage out to the bin right away, I leave it inside. I can't leave it by the door because my cats will get into it, so I leave it in my shoe closet until I can take it to the bin.
It is not ideal to have a smelly garbage bag in the same closet as my shoes, but I accommodate because I cannot leave it outside my door to attract bears and other wildlife.
And by leaving garbage and bird feeders outside, not only is it unfair to the bears, it is also dangerous for you as well as your neighbours.
This should be a no-brainer. Realize that you may be ending a bear's life, or even a human's by leaving bird feeders and garbage out. Take some responsibility and please clean up your garbage.
