303. Black Bear

Once in a while we hear of sightings of Black Bears on the Saanich Peninsula, but we seldom see any evidence of this large carnivore at Leaning Oaks.  That changed in the fall of 2016 when I nearly ran into a large black bear at the bottom of our driveway.  Fortunately it turned and ran into the woods immediately and seems to be very wary of humans.  Unfortunately, it has also learned to knock over compost bins and rummage through the garbage and the recycling that has been put out at the curbside, which does not bode well for his continued coexistence in our neighborhood.  Black bears (Ursus americanus)n Vancouver Island tend to be larger than the species is on the mainland, and active for a longer period of the year. Proper management of garbage, compost, and fruit trees tends to reduce human-bear conflicts and hopefully this particular bear can co-exist in our neighborhood.