Black bears attracted to urban food sources face lethal management as the primary response in many jurisdictions, despite evidence that non-lethal coexistence strategies are more effective at reducing conflicts long-term.
Bears killed in urban conflict situations are usually healthy animals responding normally to available food resources. The welfare harm falls on animals that have done nothing wrong in a biological sense — they are simply using the best food source in their territory. Non-lethal management that removes attractants prevents conflict without killing bears, making lethal management an unnecessary welfare cost in most urban conflict scenarios.