%u201CBear Shepherding uses Karelian Bear Dogs to teach problem bears. The dogs are used to chase the bear back to the forest, a safe distance away from the human space. Then the dogs are called off. The bear learns to associate human settlements with being harassed. They learn to recognize our boundary and as a result the bears life is saved.
We know that the Bear Shepherding program works: it is used successfully in places like Alberta, Manitoba, Utah, Montana, and Washington.
Section 78 of the B.C. Wildlife Act makes it illegal to chase wildlife with dogs, unless you are hunting. We would like to amend the act to allow the use of dogs by Conservation Officers, who work for the government. Currently bear shepherding is not allowed in this province, the bears are destroyed instead. Clearly, this law needs to change.
Problem bears are almost always destroyed. Approximately 1,000 black bears and 50 grizzlies are killed every year in British Columbia this number does not include bears that are hunted for sport or killed on the roads.
The petition of the undersigned states that:
1. Current non-lethal methods of controlling problem bears, such as the Bear Smart public education initiative and bear relocation, are insufficient, as evidenced by the approximately 1,000 bears destroyed in British Columbia each year;
2. Karelian Bear Dog teams have successfully shepherded bears in various North American locations a minimum of 200 times, reducing human-bear conflict by as much as 23%, and saving the lives of countless bears;
3. And, Bear Shepherding is endorsed by Parks Canada and provincial government agents in Alberta and Manitoba;
Therefore, your petitioners respectfully request that the Honourable House amends section 78 of the Wildlife Act to permit trained Karelian Bear Dog teams to perform Bear Shepherding on problem bears.
Thank you for reading our petition and for taking action to help save the bears of British Columbia.
