A young bear cub wandering around the north side of Port Coquitlam may look small and cute, but residents should not feed or interact with the animal, according to Bear Aware coordinator Drake Stephens.
The bruin has been spotted several times in the last week without its mother and has been frequenting schoolyards in the area, including Terry Fox secondary, Blakeburn elementary and Archbishop Carney.
"People have to take the same measures," Stephens said. "Just because it is small and cute, you still shouldn't feed it."
What happened to the mother is unknown but he added that people need to exercise caution when they see the animal.
Stephens has not seen the bear, but based on descriptions he has received from residents, he believes it could be one to two years old. If it is under a year, it could be a candidate for a trip to the Wildlife Rescue Centre in Langley.
"It still has to be determined whether it is a cub and whether anyone is going to do that," Stephens said. "That is going to be up to the Conservation Office."
With the cooler weather coming, bears are trying desperately to bulk up for their winter denning period.
Stephens said this time of year it is even more important that residents work to secure their garbage and all animal attractants in order to deter the animals from becoming habituated to human food.
"They are in a feeding frenzy right now," he said. "People need to secure their bins."
