Black bear surprises people, chases geese at Metro Vancouver park
Two videos posted online Saturday show a black bear surprising people enjoying the Canada Day weekend at a busy Metro Vancouver park.
One video posted to Reddit shows a black bear on the pitch and putt course at Burnaby's Central Park. It chases two adult geese and a gosling, the older birds honking and flapping their wings while the younger one is unable to escape and is eventually caught by the bear. The animal comes within feet of people and one can be heard yelling "Get out of the way!"
Another video posted to YouTube shows a bear in the wooded area adjacent to the paved walking and biking path near the SkyTrain tracks. In the three-minute video, the animal slowly ambles out onto the path itself, coming very close to people cycling and strolling.
It is unclear if both videos show the same bear.
The Burnaby RCMP received "several calls" about a bear in the park and attended at least once between 11:15 a.m. and 3:15 p.m.
"In general, the callers stated the bear was not acting aggressively towards members of the public," says spokesperson Cpl. Mike Kalanj in an email, adding the BC Conservation Officers Service was made aware of the calls.
CTV News has reached out to B.C.'s Ministry of the Environment to see what the response was and this story will be updated if more information is received.
Two weeks ago, a black bear was spotted by residents of a neighbourhood on the Vancouver-Burnaby border. Police were called to the scene, where they shot and killed the animal.
Advocates say the colder-than-average spring weather has reduced the salmonberry crop this year, prompting more black bears to enter residential neighbourhoods looking for food.
The most recent data from the province on reports of black bear encounters is from April of this year. There were 935 calls received, 133 reports investigated, and 23 bears destroyed by the BC Conservation Officers Service. Those are the highest numbers recorded in the publicly available data, which dates back to 2011.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
IN PHOTOS Northern lights dance across the night sky in southern Ont.
From London, to Mildmay, Collingwood and St. Thomas, here are some highlights of Friday night and Saturday morning's northern lights display.
Millions of Canadians have been exposed to potentially toxic chemicals, and they're not going anywhere
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.
Dutch contestant kicked out of Eurovision hours before tension-plagued song contest final
The Netherlands' contestant in the Eurovision Song Contest was dramatically expelled from competition hours before Saturday's final of the pan-continental pop competition, which has been rattled by protests over the participation of Israel.
'I am angry': Alberta farmers will continue fight over world class motorsport resort
The rolling hills leading to the hamlet of Rosebud are dotted with sprawling farms and cattle pastures -- and a sign sporting a simple message: No Race Track.
opinion How to use your credit card as a powerful wealth-building tool
Irresponsibly using a credit card can land you in financial trouble, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew says when used properly, it can be a powerful wealth-building tool that can help grow your credit profile and create new opportunities.
Out-of-control wildfire prompts evacuation alert for Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates Friday night
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.
Cyclist issued fine for striking four-year-old girl crossing the street
A cyclist turned herself in and received a fine after striking a four-year-old girl who was crossing the street to catch a school bus.
Bouchard lifts Edmonton Oilers to 4-3 overtime win over Canucks in Game 2
Evan Bouchard scored 5:38 into overtime and the Edmonton Oilers bounced back for a 4-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs on Friday.
Joe Biden wants to remind 2024 voters of a record and an agenda. Often it's Donald Trump's
Biden wants the 2024 election to be a referendum on Trump's record and plans, but he also wants voters to look favourably on his own policies and actions