Black bear found rummaging through garbage at a North Vancouver elementary school
A black bear was found wandering through a North Vancouver neighbourhood Thursday morning looking for garbage as kids made their way to school.
North Vancouver RCMP say the bear was discovered on the grounds of Carisbrooke Elementary School going through the garbage at about 7:50 a.m., before making its way on to the front lawn of a nearby home.
It is garbage day in the neighbourhood and police say that’s what likely drew the bear out of the forest, looking for food.
“The bear appeared to be young but not aggressive or afraid of humans,” Sgt. Peter DeVries told CTV News.
Four officers attended the scene and managed to chase the bear back into the forest before animal protection arrived. “No one was at risk,” said DeVries, who pointed out that school wasn’t in session yet during the bear encounter. He said he was unaware of any confrontations between people and the bear. Mounties were on scene for about an hour.
They want to remind people to abide by district garbage rules when putting out their bins.
“It’s the time of the year that bears are bulking up to prepare for hibernation,” said DeVries, who warned homeowners to be extra vigilant to seal their garbage properly.
This black bear was unharmed but new B.C. statistics, posted Wednesday, show that’s often not the case when nature mixes with humans.
The stats show dozens of black bears were killed in the province last month by conservation officers after what officials say was a busy time with thousands of calls.
Conservation tells CTV News that one of the primary reasons a bear may be killed by officers when it’s involved in a conflict with humans is if it has been food conditioned.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Prince William and Kate release photo of daughter Charlotte to mark ninth birthday
Prince William and his wife Kate released a picture of their daughter Charlotte to mark the princess's ninth birthday on Thursday.
This Canadian restaurant just lowered its prices. Here's how it did it
A Canadian restaurant lowered its prices this week, and though news of price tags dropping rather than climbing sounds unusual, the business strategy in this case is not, according to experts in the field.
Concerns about Plexiglas prompt inspections at some Loblaws locations in Ottawa
Inspections are underway at more than one Loblaws location in Ottawa after complaints were filed about tall Plexiglas barriers.
'Oh, there you go': Tyler Black, son of veteran broadcaster Rod Black, has memorable Major League Baseball debut
Canadian baseball player Tyler Black made a major splash in his first-ever big league game for the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday night.
Groundbreaking American guitarist Duane Eddy dies age 86
Guitarist Duane Eddy, best known for twangy riffs on hits such as 'Rebel Rouser' and 'Cannonball,' has died at the age of 86.
Facial reconstruction reveals what a 40-something Neanderthal woman may have looked like
Scientists studying a Neanderthal woman's remains have painstakingly pieced together her skull from 200 bone fragments to understand what she may have looked like.
Weight-loss drug Wegovy available in Canada starting May 6
The makers of Ozempic say their weight-loss drug Wegovy will be available to patients in Canada starting Monday.
Five human skeletons, missing hands and feet, found outside house of Nazi leader Hermann Goring
Archeologists have unearthed the skeletons of five people, missing their hands and feet, at a former Nazi military base in Poland.
Ontario man loses $1,500 applying for Nexus cards on social media
The trusted traveller program between Canada and the United States is extremely popular and almost two million Canadians have a Nexus card.