Conservation office urges caution after bear enters van with child inside
The Conservation Officer Service is warning people to take extra caution after a black bear in Coquitlam, B.C. entered a van with a child inside on Saturday morning.
According to conservation officer Eric Tyukodi, the incident occurred in the Westwood Plateau area as a woman and one of her children were loading groceries into their van, and a younger child sat in the front seat.
When the woman and one of the children went back into the house to get more groceries, the bear entered the back of the van and grabbed a bag of oats.
The mother and children managed to scare the bear off, and it has not been found.
"The fact that it went into an occupied vehicle is very concerning. It speaks to a high level of food conditioning and high habituation to humans. Once that occurs these animals start to lose their fear of people," said Tyukodi.
"A wild bear would never think to approach a vehicle with somebody inside it unless it's been getting food from elsewhere."
1,500 sightings since April
Tyukodi said that as hibernation season approaches, bears tend to become more aggressive in their pursuit of food.
He said there have been at least 1,500 bear sightings since April so far in the Maple Ridge, Coquitlam, Port Moody and Belcarra areas — but that number has decreased somewhat from previous years.
The Conservation Officer Service has the following advice for keeping bears away from your property and dealing with them safely.
- Garbage is the number one attractant for bears — so don't bring your garbage out the night before, or store it in a secure area.
- Do not leave bird feeders outside during the summer.
- Make sure your barbecue is well-cleaned and properly stored.
- Never feed bears — it is illegal.
- Never approach a bear.
Bears typically go into hibernation the first week of December.
With files from Zahra Premji
