WILD WEDNESDAY: Why leaving water out for wildlife isn’t a good idea

With hot and dry conditions humans aren't the only ones looking for ways to stay cool and hydrated.

In this week's episode of Wild Wednesday, WildSafe B.C. posted a video of how a black bear takes a break from the heat in a waterhole.

"We have seen some posts on social media encouraging people to leave water out for wildlife that has been displaced by fires or impacted by the heat," WildSafe B.C. says in the Facebook post.

Although they recognize it's with good intentions, it's not always the best idea.

WildSafe B.C. says leaving water out for animals may entice them to stay in urban settings and become human-habituate. When this happens, wildlife such as bears, can become a threat to human safety.

"Wildlife and wildfires have co-evolved and our wildlife is actually quite resilient when it comes to dealing with things like fires," WildSafe B.C. says. "Animals need to move to new locations temporarily to escape the actual fire, but their home range quickly rebounds and the new growth in the following years provides even better opportunities for most species."

The best thing to do, WildSafe B.C. says, is to interfere as little as possible.

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