The
number of black bears in the province is growing, and one scientist says
the upswing is directly related to the economic downtown across the
border.
Kevin
Craig, a wildlife biologist for the Department of Natural Resources says
because of the financial conditions in the United States, fewer
Americans are taking trips to the province to hunt the bears. Craig says
the decrease in visiting hunters and more habitat has led to their
numbers ballooning to 17,000 in the last few years.
There's
been an increase in bear sightings in residential areas, however, Craig
says people can reduce the number of encounters with bears by not
leaving out garbage and bird feeders at night. To re-locate them, the Department of Natural Resources has set many live-traps in a variety of areas.