Bear euthanized after Coquitlam residents fed it watermelon: RCMP

Conservation officers and police are warning residents not to feed bears after one was put down in Coquitlam earlier this week.

In a Friday news release, the Coquitlam RCMP says it and the BC Conservation Officer Service were called to Kingston Street and Galloway Avenue on Wednesday for a report of an injured bear surrounded by a “large crowd.”

Residents had fed the bear watermelon, and some people had reportedly been feeding the animal for three days, police said.

According to the BCCOS, the black bear had a history of “conflict behaviour” in the neighbourhood, including entering garages to eat garbage.

“Due to the risk to public safety, it was not a candidate for relocation or rehabilitation and was humanely put down by conservation officers,” the release reads.

“Feeding bears is a dangerous activity that puts public safety at risk. We ask the public to never feed or approach bears and take steps to help prevent bear conflicts,” said Danielle Bell with the BCCOS, in the release. “Don’t give bears an opportunity to access garbage and other non-natural food, and help keep the community, and the bears, safe.”

As of June, the BCCOS says, anyone caught feeding “dangerous” wildlife such as bears, cougars and coyotes, can face fines of up to $575, but no such fines were handed out in relation to this recent incident.

According data obtained by animal welfare charity The Fur-Bearers, conservation officers killed 73 black bears in Coquitlam between 2015 and 2022. The organization was unable to obtain last year’s numbers for cities that fell outside the top 10.