Catching a bear on camera wandering through the yard in the wee hours of the morning, one Saanich resident didnB次元官网网址檛 hesitate to alert the block watch captain.

That person, in turn, did the right thing flagging the B.C. Conservation Officer Service (COS) and alerting neighbours.

The bear was captured on video in the 2800-block of Colquitz Avenue on Tuesday (May 21) around 1 a.m.

B次元官网网址淭o me thatB次元官网网址檚 shocking, I feel that this is not bear country,B次元官网网址� said Catherine Culley, the captain in question. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 good to know thereB次元官网网址檚 a bear in the area.B次元官网网址�

In a potentially related situation, conservation relocated a bear from the area Wednesday morning.

Conservation had no idea where it came from, or where it hangout, but it did make its way to a heavily populated, urbanized area and found itself with no escape route, explained Scott Norris, sergeant with the south Island COS.

B次元官网网址淭hat was a bear we basically had no history on.B次元官网网址�

RELATED:

Later determined to be a male bear in good condition, theyB次元官网网址檙e guessing it followed the Gorge Waterway seeking habitat, then found itself in a subdivision.

B次元官网网址淭hen the get scared by a dog or a car horn and climb a tree, then theyB次元官网网址檙e suddenly in a tree in the middle of the city,B次元官网网址� Norris said. B次元官网网址淭hat becomes a safety risk because now itB次元官网网址檚 in backyards and city streets.B次元官网网址�

Deemed a non-habituated bear, officers could safely tranquilize, ear-tag and release the bear back into the south Island wilderness.

B次元官网网址淲e make every effort to relocate bears like that,B次元官网网址� Norris said. B次元官网网址淗opefully he likes his new home and stays there.B次元官网网址�

The goal, is to avoid the bears becoming habituated by human activity, specifically leaving trash, pet food or other attractants out.

This spring the vast majority of bear calls are from Langford, with some coming from rural Saanich, View Royal, Highlands and Colwood.

View Royal is conducting a pilot project giving residents bear-proof garbage bins in an effort to curb conflict. TheyB次元官网网址檝e set aside $5,000 to provide the bins and provide bear awareness education to some residents of the Riverside neighbourhood.

ItB次元官网网址檚 a neighbourhood adjacent to known bear habitat. In June 2023, a bear with three cubs was euthanized in the area after reports of it climbing onto residential porches to access food.

B次元官网网址淲e donB次元官网网址檛 enjoy having to euthanize bears, we enjoy coexisting with bears. The only way to coexist is to lock up attractants,B次元官网网址� Norris said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 illegal to leave your garbage out until garbage day. ThatB次元官网网址檚 to keep bears safe and wild and to keep our neighbourhoods safe.B次元官网网址�

- with files from Bailey Seymour.

READ ALSO: