Black bear spotted at busy Metro Vancouver park killed by conservation officers
A black bear that was caught on camera chasing geese at a busy Metro Vancouver park over the weekend was killed by conservation officers.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the BC Conservation Officer Service confirmed that the agency was called to Burnaby's Central Park on Saturday afternoon. The same day, videos posted online showed a bear on the pitch and putt course and later wandering along a walking and cycling trail near the SkyTrain tracks – in both instances coming within metres of park goers.
The bear was first tranquilized, according to an emailed statement form the province.
"After assessment, the bear was put down due to his behaviour compromising public safety," it reads, adding that the process includes considering the risk to people as well as the animal's chance at survival in the wild.
"Putting down any bear or cub is an unfortunate outcome that we work so hard to prevent … Bears that are conditioned to humans or conditioned to non-natural food sources are not candidates for relocation or rehabilitation."
The service is reminding people to minimize the potential for encounters with bears by securing attractants like garbage, pet food and bird seed.
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 Officer Service. Those are the highest numbers recorded in the publicly available data, which dates back to 2011.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Still so much love between us,' Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Pro-plastic lobbyist presence at UN talks is 'troubling,' say advocates
Environmentalist groups are sounding the alarm about a steep increase in the number of pro-plastic lobbyists at the UN pollution talks taking place this week.
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Trump's lawyers grill ex-tabloid publisher as 1st week of hush money trial testimony nears a close
After prosecutors' lead witness painted a tawdry portrait of “catch-and-kill” tabloid schemes, defence lawyers in Donald Trump's criminal trial on Friday sought to dig into an account of the former publisher of the National Enquirer and his efforts to protect Trump from negative stories during the 2016 election.