Turns out, bears really do love honey, and whatever else is within their grasp.
The owner of Honeybear Apiaries knows it all too well.
Barrie Termeer says a young black bear went after the hives at his apiary outside the Hamlet of Rolly View last week and then helped himself to a slow cooker full of rice sitting on a kitchen table.
The window at the farmhouse where some of his foreign workers live was partially open and Termeer says the bear made short work of clawing his way up and into the house.
“He couldn’t resist, he pulled himself into the window and helped himself to the rice.”
Termeer says his workers pulled up in a vehicle while the bear was still in the kitchen.
“He was actually sitting at the kitchen table. With the sound of the vehicle, he spooked and he actually ran out a smaller kitchen window over the sink and then ran into the bush with the rice cooker.”
Regional Fish and Wildlife Supervising Officer Darren Unreiner says it isn’t uncommon to see black bears this close to larger centres. This particular bear was spotted knocking over hives in three honey fields.
But he said when a bear crosses a line into a person’s home; it has to be dealt with.
“It does heighten our response time to ensure no one gets harmed.”
Unreiner says a bear trap was set in an attempt to capture the bear, but a land owner noticed the animal on his property two days ago, exhibit more nuisance behaviour and shot it.
The fish and wildlife officer says the property owner was within his rights to do so, he’s reminding residents this time of year that if a food opportunity is available, the bears will react to it.
Rolly View is about 50 kilometres south of Edmonton.
