Bear cubs seen playing on the side of a road in Port Moody earlier this week are "very likely" the same bears that were put down on Thursday, the city says.

In a post on its Facebook page, the City of Port Moody wrote that officials had learned that three bears were put down by conservation officers.

"The other day we posted a beautiful video of some young bear cubs playing in Port Moody. Although we don't know for sure, it is very likely that these are the same bears," the post said.

Footage captured by Port Moody resident Elle Brovold on Monday night shows bear cubs tumbling and playing at the side of Forest Park Way. The city posted the video as a reminder to residents that area bruins are waking up from hibernation.

On Friday morning, the city wrote that three bears were put down in the area.

City officials wrote that the mother bear and her two cubs had been relocated previously, but had returned to a residential area lured by the smell of human food. It reminded the public of the need to keep bears and people safe by managing the animals' access to garbage and other attractants.

"We are deeply saddened, however we hope that some good will come of this by raising awareness of the importance of eliminating bear attractants," the city said.

Bear season has just started, and already bylaw officials have handed out more than 100 tickets for violations of the city's solid waste regulations. The bylaw states that attractants like food garbage cannot be stored in a way that makes it accessible to wildlife. More details are available online. 

"All complaints are taken very seriously and we urge residents to immediately report any violations so our bylaw officers can respond as quickly as possible and take appropriate enforcement action," the city wrote.

Port Moody also posted a link to their website, which includes tips on how to eliminate items that attract bears, and how to report bear sightings.

Its Bear Essentials program offers these tips:

  • Store garbage and organics securely, indoors or in a bear-resistant waste enclosure
  • Ensure that residential bins remain securely closed with bear clips locked
  • Ensure that residential carts are only placed at your pick-up spot between 5:30 am and 7:30 am on your pick-up day
  • Freeze odorous food scraps until collection day
  • If you have a backyard compost, maintain an odourless pile, turn regularly, and keep covered
  • Pick fruit from trees as soon as it ripens, and pick up any fallen fruit daily
  • Keep ground free of bird seeds, and limit access to birdfeeders by suspending them out of reach
  • Clean barbeque grill, and remove and empty grease trap after each use
  • Cover and store barbecue in a secured area
  • If you feed pets outside, always bring pet dishes inside and clean up any spilled pet food