A black bear is seen in this undated WildSafeBC photo.
(HOWARD ALEXANDER - NEWS EDITOR / iNFOnews.ca)
September 19, 2020 - 9:11 AM
After a video was posted on social media of a mother black bear and her cubs walking near the Okanagan Rail Trail, the District of Lake Country is warning residents to be bear aware.
The bears were spotted near the rail trail Sept. 17, near Ribbleworth Falls, according to the district. A video of the bears was originally posted in a well-known Lake Country Facebook group.
The district is asking residents to travel in groups, make noise and keep pets on a leash as this time of year is kokanee spawning season when bears are typically fattening up for winter hibernation.
"Bears fishing for food may not hear you over the noise of the water. If you see a bear, give it plenty of space and stay well away from it," according to the district's Facebook post.
"Whenever possible avoid encounters with bears as they can be aggressive, especially when defending their food or their cubs. Bears also have excellent senses of smell and hearing and better sight than you might believe."
WildSafeBC encourages residents to bring bear spray with them and to not leave out bear attractants, such as garbage and bird feeders.
READ MORE: B.C. conservation officers move from education to enforcement to keep bears alive
Between 2014-2018, garbage was the number one attractant for bears, according to WildSafeBC.
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