The Fur-Bearers are proud supporters of a survey out of the University of British Columbia that seeks to understand public perceptions around bear coexistence in Coquitlam and the North Shore. Currently, numerous efforts are underway to contact as many individuals in those communities as possible for participation. Common messaging is:
Help us understand human perceptions of black bear conflicts in the Lower Mainland.
“This survey is anonymous and will take around 10 minutes to complete! This survey gauges public perceptions of black bears and the enforcement and mitigation strategies used to address human-wildlife conflicts. Your answers are extremely valuable and will help to guide recommendations that support public safety and the wellbeing of black bears in the Lower Mainland. This survey was created in collaboration with The Association For The Protection of Fur-Bearing Animals and UBC. You can access the survey using this link https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0ecnDhRW6ZIaD4y”.
The North Shore and Coquitlam areas are being specifically targeted through social media advertising, print media, direct mail and other tools.
The Fur-Bearers’ role in the study is one of administrative support: we have connected the students with provincial agencies, authorities and other NGOs who work on coexistence efforts, flagged studies and offered initial input on the survey design. However, the students and supervisors are the decision makers on how the survey was written, what was included, and how the data will be processed and shared.
“This is an exciting opportunity to leverage the incredible tools used by UBC researchers and students to understand public perception of human conflict with bears,” says Lesley Fox, Executive Director at The Fur-Bearers. “We’re looking forward to seeing the end results and how it may inform collaborative efforts to coexist with black bears.”
