Fort McMurray evacuees brace for bear encounters
People are getting ready to go home to Fort McMurray and some of them will be packing bear spray into their suitcases.
The Alberta BearSmart organization warns there will be more bear encounters than usual this year, as much of the bears' natural habitat has been scorched by wildfire so they're foraging for food in the abandoned city.
Dan LeGrandeur, a wildlife conflict specialist with Bear Scare, taught families to use bear spray and whistles at a wildlife safety event in Nisku on Saturday.
He said the animals are especially hungry and determined after months of hibernation.
"They're hungry at this time of year and they have a real innate need to eat and find food," he said.
Hot weather could make matters worse as natural food sources such as berries dry up, said LeGrandeur. He said bear spray is the best defence, calling it "pepper spray" for bears.
"This will save your life," he said about the can of spray strapped to his belt.
The spray contains capsaicin, packing more than one million Scoville heat units, which can cause the eyes and nose to burn fiercely.
For comparison a jalapeño pepper averages between 2,500 and 5,000 heat units on the Scoville scale, which measures the intensity of chilli peppers and other spicy foods.
Once a bear is sprayed, LeGrandeur said it will be temporarily blinded. The nose, its strongest sense, will also be incapacitated by the spray.
"The bears are just fine after," LeGrandeur said. "I've been exposed to this numerous times and it hurts, but there are no long-term effects."
Families ready for bears
Barron Lambert and his little sister practised using a fake bear spray can at the event. He doesn't want to use the spray on a real bear, but said he feels ready to do so in an emergency.
"I imagine if they're the human, they'd spray us if we're the bears," he said. "We do it to them and it hurts."
Barron's mother, Christie Trottier, said she wanted her children to learn about bears in a safe environment. Their Fort McMurray home borders on a forest, so she's expecting to see the animals once her family goes home on June 3.
"I just wanted to do a little bit to prepare the family so they don't panic if a situation arises," Trottier said.
Christine Lambert, a co-founder of Bear Smart Wood Buffalo, said she doesn't want to scare residents, but emphasized it's important to be prepared for wildlife in the city.
"The bears were there before, they're going to continue being in our community and the surrounding area," Lambert said. "We just want them to be prepared so that we can develop a community that is bear safe."
Groups of people are expected to be allowed back into Fort McMurray starting June 1.
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