Burnaby Mounties and conservation officers are on the hunt for a black bear that took a swat at a couple having a picnic.
The bear was spotted at 1 p.m. on Burnaby Mountain, when it approached the American visitors and sniffed their backpack.
The bear took a swing at one of the woman's legs, but conservation officers said she is OK.
"It's very unusual that a bear would be this comfortable to approach people like this," said Sgt. Simon Gravel, with the Conservation Officer Service. "It's often the result of a bear very habituated to humans…this bear can be dangerous and cause more injuries."
Mounties and conservation officers are currently checking the areas of the Trans Canada Trail, Ridgeview, Burnwood and Gnome's Home trail in an effort to find the bear.
But if the bear is found, conservation officers aren’t optimistic about its fate.
“For a bear that is so food conditioned and habituated, our only option is to euthanize them,” said Gravel.
