Bears in Lower Mainland waking up early and hungry

Metro Vancouver wildlife officials are asking residents to take more care with their garbage now that bears have been spotted in the region.

Biologists say bears seem to be waking from hibernation earlier this year. That could mean homeowners will soon start seeing bears in their neighbourhood.

Christine Miller of the North Shore Black Bear Society says the organization got its first bear sighting call Monday morning.

• Bear hibernation could be ending much earlier this year
• B.C. bear sightings increase as animals prepare for winter
• Bear 122 caught on camera after coming out of hibernation in Banff National Park

"Somebody phoned from Riverside Drive in North Vancouver to say that a bear had been around [Sunday] night and broken into a storage area where they had some odorous garbage," she said.

With the forecast calling for a stretch of warm, sunny weather in the Lower Mainland, Miller says people should expect the bears to start waking up and looking for food.

And she says where they find a meal, they mark as a place to visit frequently.

"[People have]to be really diligent," she said. "Especially if they see any signs themselves of a bear in the neighbourhood."

She says homeowners should also take down bird feeders and any other food source that could be used by bears.