Photo by Tom Sturdley / Getty Images
A significant drop in killings of black bears by the BC Conservation Officer Service (BC COS) is to be lauded, though much work remains to be done.
According to a Facebook post, the BC COS is reporting 303 black bears killed in 2024, a 49.7% drop from 603 black bears killed in 2023. The BC COS post states that this is the lowest number of black bears killed since statistics were first published online in 2011. There were also 10,000 fewer black bears calls to the service’s hotline (Report All Polluters and Poachers / RAPP).
“We’re pleased to see the BC COS is working with communities to reduce service calls and the need for interventions, and congratulate them on a positive step forward,” says Lesley Fox, Executive Director for The Fur-Bearers. “There is still work to be done, from ensuring that non-lethal methods to reduce negative encounters are prioritized, that repeat offender municipalities, businesses and residents are met with fines and enforcement tools, and that appropriate, independent oversight is implemented.”
The Fur-Bearers has tracked the number of black bears killed by community in recent years. Below is the data release by the BC COS for the 2024 calendar year, as received from the BC COS website.
2024 Black Bears Killed by BC COS
| Community | Black Bears Killed |
|---|---|
| Williams Lake | 13 |
| Kamloops | 11 |
| Nelson | 8 |
| Prince George | 8 |
| Quesnel | 8 |
| Fernie | 7 |
| Penticton | 7 |
| Pink Mountain | 7 |
| Campbell River | 6 |
| Sooke | 6 |
| Vanderhoof | 6 |
| West Kelowna | 6 |
| Enderby | 5 |
| Kelowna | 5 |
| Logan Lake | 5 |
| Port Renfrew | 5 |
| Summerland | 5 |
| Trail | 5 |
| Vernon | 5 |
| Burns Lake | 4 |
| Coldstream | 4 |
| Coquitlam | 4 |
| Daajing Giids | 4 |
| Okanagan Falls | 4 |
| Powell River | 4 |
| Whistler | 4 |
| Windermere | 4 |
| Christina Lake | 3 |
| Clinton | 3 |
| Gibsons | 3 |
| Grand Forks | 3 |
| Lake Country | 3 |
| Pemberton | 3 |
| Revelstoke | 3 |
| Sechelt | 3 |
| Smithers | 3 |
| Fort St. James | 2 |
| Fort St. John | 2 |
| Fruitvale | 2 |
| Hills | 2 |
| Kaslo | 2 |
| Keremeos | 2 |
| Kimberley | 2 |
| Lillooet | 2 |
| Maple Ridge | 2 |
| Nanaimo | 2 |
| Naramata | 2 |
| North Vancouver | 2 |
| Port Alice | 2 |
| Port McNeill | 2 |
| Qualicum Beach | 2 |
| Rossland | 2 |
| Saanich | 2 |
| Salmo | 2 |
| Salmon Arm | 2 |
| Scotch Creek | 2 |
| Sparwood | 2 |
| Squamish | 2 |
| Telkwa | 2 |
| Terrace | 2 |
| 100 Mile House | 1 |
| 150 Mile House | 1 |
| 70 Mile House | 1 |
| Atlin | 1 |
| Bella Bella | 1 |
| Brackendale | 1 |
| Bridge Lake | 1 |
| Castlegar | 1 |
| Chase | 1 |
| Cherryville | 1 |
| Chetwynd | 1 |
| Cobble Hill | 1 |
| Creston | 1 |
| Dawson Creek | 1 |
| Deka Lake | 1 |
| Duncan | 1 |
| Elkford | 1 |
| Errington | 1 |
| Fairmont | 1 |
| Forest Grove | 1 |
| Fort Nelson | 1 |
| Fraser Lake | 1 |
| Goldbridge | 1 |
| Greenwood | 1 |
| Hazelton | 1 |
| Horsefly | 1 |
| Invermere | 1 |
| Jordan River | 1 |
| Kaleden | 1 |
| Kluskus | 1 |
| Lac La Hache | 1 |
| Langford | 1 |
| Likely | 1 |
| Lions Bay | 1 |
| Lytton | 1 |
| Mabel Lake | 1 |
| Mackenzie | 1 |
| Madeira Park | 1 |
| Miller Creek | 1 |
| Mirror Lake | 1 |
| Ness Lake | 1 |
| Olalla | 1 |
| Oliver | 1 |
| Panorama | 1 |
| Peachland | 1 |
| Popkum | 1 |
| Port Clements | 1 |
| Port Coquitlam | 1 |
| Port Hardy | 1 |
| Saltery Bay | 1 |
| Sayward | 1 |
| Shawnigan Lake | 1 |
| Sicamous | 1 |
| Skidegate Landing | 1 |
| South Hazelton | 1 |
| Spallumcheen | 1 |
| Stave Falls | 1 |
| Stewart | 1 |
| Tahsis | 1 |
| Tofino | 1 |
| Topley | 1 |
| Warfield | 1 |
| Wells | 1 |
| Wilmer | 1 |
| Winlaw | 1 |
| Wynndel | 1 |
| TOTAL | 303 |
The BC COS note that securing attractants has played a role in the reduction, but abundant natural food sources like berry crops in 2024 also reduced black bears visiting communities.
The Fur-Bearers will continue to investigate this data and use all tools available to monitor the actions of government agents who kill wildlife like the BC COS and hold them accountable. Learn more about BC black bears and the issues they face at TheFurBearers.com/BCBlackBears.
