‘Don’t have the headphones on’: Safety urged as B.C. bears emerge from hibernation [Video]

Officials are urging residents to be alert and secure their garbage bins as B.C.’s bears wake up from their winter hibernation over the coming weeks.

There are between 120,000 and 150,000 black bears in the province, according to advocacy group WildSafeBC, and the dozy bears start getting more active in the spring after months of sleep.

Wildlife safety advocates and conservation officers are urging residents to be aware of their surroundings when out in the woods.

The City of Kamloops is rolling out a program to offer bear-resistant garbage bins throughout the city, as officials and advocates say unsecured garbage bins are the primary cause of human-bear conflict.

WATCH | Port Moody works to coexist with bears: Port Moody has officially been given the province’s “Bear Smart” designation – as part of an effort to build communities where people and bears can coexist in urban environments. As CBC’s Michelle Morton reports, it comes after conservation officers killed a decade-high number of …