Public urged to leash dogs to protect family of bears in Squamish

The public in Squamish are being urged to leash dogs on a local trail, after wildlife officials found a family of bears in the area.

The mum and two yearlings have been feeding on grass on a portion of the Mashiter Trail. It is believed the animals may have hunkered down due to the food and water nearby.

Meg Toom of Squamish’s Wildsafe BC says they are working on getting signage setup on the trail, and will put barricades on either ends of the area to delineate where the bears are believed to be. However the trail will not be closed.

Toom says officials have concerns about the impact of off-leash dogs and will place spare leashes in the area for anyone who may have forgotten theirs. The hope is to reduce the potential for a conflict with the bears, and allow the family to live in the wild.