Conservation officers picked up two bears that were wandering onto residential properties on the North Shore on Sunday, one of which will be put down.
The first bear was captured in Lynn Valley, where it had entered a home by pushing through a window screen. Conservation Officer Alexandre Desjardins said it did not find any food, though, and will be relocated near Squamish.
The second bear was found sifting through garbage and entering sheds off Mount Seyour Parkway near Deep Cove.
"The bear acted aggressively, probably defensively," Desjardins said. "Due to the bear's past history, we will have to destroy him."
Authorities believe the animal has become habituated to humans over the past several years. Area residents are asked to take the proper steps to avoid attracting bears, including:
- Placing garbage at the curb the morning of collection day, not the night before
- Double-bagging food waste and cleaning bins regularly
- Removing bird feeders
- Keeping doors closed, especially while cooking
- Cleaning barbecues thoroughly after each use
- Keeping property clean; even dirty diapers and animal droppings will attract bears
- Cleaning jars and cans before putting them into recycling
Both bears captured on Sunday weighed about 150 kilograms and were at least four years old, Desjardins said.
A black bear was destroyed late last month in West Vancouver after it spent a morning wandering in and out of homes through unlocked doors. Authorities say it had learned to open refrigerator doors for food.
