While a pumpkin may seem like only a seasonal decoration to you, it’s a tantalizing meal for a hungry bear.
With this in mind, the B.C. Conservation Officer Service is asking you to only put out pumpkins on Halloween, especially if you live in a neighbourhood that attracts lots of black bears.
The service warns that bears are looking to pack on calories before denning, the scent of a carved pumpkin on a front porch could bring them right to your doorstep.
They want to make sure the only guest on your front porch is a trick-or-treater.
Last month, conservation officers received 5,070 calls for black bears, up almost 1,400 from the previous September.
Officers also had to destroy 142 of them and had to rehab 10 cubs.
