B.C. conservation officers killed fewer black bears in 2024 but say they aren’t sure why [Video]

British Columbia’s Conservation Officer Service (COS) says it recorded a roughly 50 per cent drop in the number of black bears it killed in 2024 compared to the year prior, though it’s not sure why.

The service says it’s the fewest bears it’s had to kill in a year since 2011 when records first started being published online.

According to numbers collected by the COS, a total of 303 black bears were killed last year, a drop from 603 in 2023. Between 500 and 600 are generally killed most years, with the highest number recorded being 632 in 2019.

The service also says it saw a decrease in the number of calls about black bears, down by about 10,000 from the year before.

Alicia Buchannan, a conservation officer in Prince George, says she can’t pinpoint why there’s been such a dramatic decline but hopes public education around reducing bear attractants like garbage and fruit …