A curious black bear drew a crowd of spectators Wednesday when it lumbered into the Lynn Valley Centre parking lot and into a nearby tree.
Conservation officer Ashley Page said they received calls starting shortly before 9 a.m. on Wednesday morning of a bear with a yellow tag in its ear.
“We got a few reports on some properties in the area,” said Page.
The bear was later discovered in the shopping centre area around noon.
“We responded with a few officers,” said Page. “When they got down on scene, they observed a bear in a row of cedar trees outside the Safeway parking lot and with the help of RCMP and North Vancouver (district) fire, we were able to successfully immobilize the bear and transport it back to our North Vancouver office.”
Page said conservation officers had not yet determined where the bear, a 2½- to three-year-old female, would be relocated.
Other burly bruins made their presence known in three separate incidents on Tuesday in West Vancouver, when police responded to two walk-ins and one break-in by black bears. All three bears were scared off.
In the first incident, a bear made its way through an open laundry room door in the 600-block of Kenwood Road to munch on popcorn that had been left out. Another bear left a family scrambling for refuge on their balcony when it lumbered through their open front door in the 600-block of St. Andrews Road. Both calls were reported in the afternoon.
The third call was made shortly after midnight when a homeowner in the 1300-block of Cammeray Road was awoken by the sound of a doorframe cracking, said Const. Jeff Palmer, spokesman for the West Vancouver police.
“The (homeowner) was storing food and other things in the garage,” said Palmer, which lead the bear to break into the side door. “It broke the door out of its frame.”
Christine Miller, education co-ordinator for the North Shore Black Bear Society, said doors cannot be left open, especially if food is inside.
“I do lots of presentations to adults and I tell them that they need to invest in fans and leave windows open that are above ground level but not ground level doors and windows, particularly if there are bears in the area,” said Miller.
Conservation officers are urging North Shore residents to keep their garbage secured in a way that’s inaccessible to bears, said Page.
“Especially during this time of year when bears are active, and that includes your garbage, birdfeeders, even pet food,” she said. “Keep it in an area where the smell is reduced. If it’s in a garage, ensure the garage is securely locked.”
Miller also advises homeowners to keep their properties free of attractants, including thoroughly cleaning barbecues.
“A lot of people are barbecuing now; they need to turn it on high and scrub it with the wire brush when they’re finished,” she said, adding that grease catchers located underneath should be taken indoors as well.
