A Banff restaurant was issued a bylaw violation after two of bear 64’s cubs were licking its grease bin at the end of May.
Bumper’s Beef House located at the eastern edge of Banff Avenue was issued the ticket under the muicipal waste bylaw for leaving food waste accessible to wildlife.
Park Warden Sharon Woods said she and another parks employee were looking for 64 and her three cubs when they found two of them licking the grease.
“We got them away from the grease bin within minutes,” Woods said. “I don’t know how much of a reward they got.”
Bumper’s manager Sandy Maclaren said being on the periphery of the community the restaurant sometimes has inquisitive bears in the area but it has not had an ongoing issue with its waste and wildlife.
To prevent the cubs from returning Parks provided an electric fence and the restaurant has now changed its grease removal system as a solution to the attractant and the fact the bin was actually on Parks property.
“We did everything we were asked to do and anytime there is an incident we work with Parks to resolve it,” Maclaren said.
Woods said the bears stayed in the area for two weeks but then moved on and it is a reminder for all businesses to maintain their waste and ensure it is not accessible to wildlife.
“We don’t want to draw (bears) into town and once they begin to feel they are getting a food reward we don’t want them to be habituated to a human food source like grease,” she said. “We want to deter that.”
