The B.C. Conservation Officer Service is warning Whistler residents and guests to not feed or strategy black bears after a current shut encounter was caught on video.
In a sequence of clips posted on social media Monday, a bear might be seen strolling alongside the pedestrian walkway exterior the Roots retailer in Whistler Village. A number of folks might be seen close by, and most appear to be ignoring the animal.
At one level, in one of many movies, a person holding up his cellphone as if he is recording approaches the bear, getting inside a number of ft of it.
The bear begins to cost at him, however doesn’t assault, and the person responds by growling on the bear.
In one other video within the sequence, somebody might be heard clapping loudly and yelling on the bear in an effort to get it to maneuver alongside.
In a press release to CTV Information, the BCCOS mentioned it’s “conscious of a number of sightings and movies of black bears in Whistler Village, together with one video reported as lately as Monday,” however was unsure precisely when the sequence of clips circulating on social media had been recorded.
The service mentioned it euthanized a tagged black bear on Sunday, describing that animal as one which had a historical past of “battle behaviour” within the village.
Nonetheless, it mentioned the bear that officers killed “isn’t the identical bear because the one within the video.”
Requested in regards to the movies, the Whistler RCMP detachment confirmed it responded to the village to help conservation officers after receiving “a number of calls” about bear sightings Sunday afternoon.
Mounties referred additional inquiries to the BCCOS.
“We perceive residents and guests could also be accustomed to seeing black bears, however we ask folks to by no means feed or strategy bears,” the service mentioned in its assertion.
“Feeding bears is an illegal exercise that places the protection of individuals, and bears, in danger.”
The BCCOS mentioned it “works collaboratively” with the RCMP, the municipality, and native residents and companies to make sure folks safe bear “attractants” akin to rubbish, pet meals and birdseed.
“The COS recommends folks take precautions in case of wildlife encounters, together with being conscious of your environment, giving bears a number of house, leashing pets and travelling in teams,” the service mentioned.
Bear conflicts or studies of feeding bears or different harmful wildlife needs to be reported to the Report All Poachers and Polluters hotline at 1-877-953-3834, the BCCOS mentioned.
