HALIFAX: The provincial government wants to warn Nova Scotians that this is one time of the year when wildlife is out and about.
According to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), more people are seeing black bears, deer, coyotes, and raccoons around their homes and communities.
Late last month, a bear was spotted by Port Hawkesbury residents on the Old Sydney Road by the cemetery.
Dave Steeves, Technician of Forest Resources with the DNR, told The Reporter it’s common to see these animals at this time of year.
“We’re in what we call the shoulder season; now and then in the fall – prior to when all of their natural food sources come out, and then in the fall when all of them are gone – they’re basically in a state of starvation. They’re still living off of their fat reserves that they have left-over from their slumber, but things are starting to get pretty low,” he explained. “It’s not uncommon to see bears in highly settled areas because basically they’re on the move looking for easy calories. With wildlife movement, it basically all comes down to what their stomach is telling them to do.”
Until their natural food sources come out as spring becomes summer, Steeves said this will continue.
“If they know that there is a location where they can get calories very easily without putting out a whole bunch of effort, that’s exactly what they’re going to do, and that’s exactly where they’re going to stay, and they will remain in that location until the food source is gone,” he noted. “It is very common, unfortunately with each year, it gets a little worse to see bears in and around settled areas.”
Because these types of wildlife are omnivores, Steeves said they will eat almost anything they can get their hands on.
“They’re following their nose to anything that puts off smell,” he said. “Your green bin this time of year, and garbage, and bird feeders, and barbecues, and sometimes even recyclable material, if they’re not cleaned properly, they’re enough to draw in a hungry critter.”
Steeves recommended not putting meat scraps in green bins until the day of pickup, having a secondary location to store the bins, or putting straps on those bins to keep the animals away.
“If we do that, the animal will realize that it’s going to take more effort for them to pursue those calories, than they’re going to get out of it. If they can’t get at it easy, and they’re expending more effort than they thinking they’re going to get out of it, then they will move along,” he said. “The biggest part that folks can play is ensuring their property has no attractions on it. But if you’re continuing to see a bear, or other wildlife in a certain area, they’re there for a reason and the reason, the vast majority of times, is that they’re getting an easy food source.”
The DNR reminded Nova Scotians not to feed wildlife.
To take precautions, Steeves said carrying an air horn is a good idea. Since wildlife does not intend to harm humans or pets, he said people need to be mindful of the situation.
“If you do come across a bear and you’re startled, you want to make sure that you make yourself as big as possible, and you talk in a very stern voice, and slowly back out and leave the area,” he said. “You want to make sure that the animal always has an escape route, and they don’t feel like they’re being back into a corner.”
At this time of year, Steeves said pretty much everything is on the move.
“Racoons are a problem this time of year. We’ve got more deer that are moving into town, and we get sightings of coyotes,” stated Steeves. “In the natural world, everything kind of works like a big chain, so when one link in that chain is being utilized by something like food attraction, it kind of affects everything else. Maybe seeing more deer in populated areas, could possibly lead to the fact that maybe there’s going to be more predators in that area.”
Because Nova Scotians share the outdoors with “an abundance of wildlife,” the public has a responsibility to take the proper steps to ensure a peaceful co-existence.
“We have to realize that everybody has a role to play with wildlife management,” added Steeves. “While the department is tasked with the overall management of wildlife in Nova Scotia, as citizens of the province, we all have a job to do ensuring that we’re able to co-exist.”