The BC Conservation Officer Service is warning Klahanie residents in Port Moody to lock up their garbage and recycling dumpsters to deter a large black bear from coming into their neighbourhood.
The warning comes after a bear was found rooting through an unlocked bin in a commercial area behind Caffe Divano last Sunday.
"His behaviour is escalating to the point where they (Port Moody Police) are worried about it, too," Sgt. Todd Hunter, BC Conservation Officer Service
The bin has since been removed and efforts are being made to bear proof the area. The bear trap will be taken out of the parking lot, too, this week, even if no bear is caught.
Sgt. Todd Hunter said the bear may have moved on and is looking elsewhere to fill his hungry belly. But he's worried problems will continue if the bear gets into other unlocked bins in the area.
"I was hoping to get him out of there… his behaviour is escalating to the point where they (Port Moody Police) are worried about it, too," Hunter said, adding later, "The best thing we can do is prevent conflict before it happens, prevention is better than confrontation."
Police were called to the parking lot behind the cafe on Sunday after several reports of a bear in the area and the bruin wouldn't leave despite efforts to chase it out.
Eventually it wandered away and hasn't returned to check out the bear trap that was placed there Sunday. Hunter said he uses strong smelling food such as tuna or molasses to lure problem bears, but for some reason it didn't work to trap this one.
Hunter suspects it's because there is a lot of other places to go in the area to get unsecured garbage.
He wants to get the trap out of there so the wrong bear isn't picked up.
But relocating bears isn't always the best solution because bears that eat garbage typically make their way back. Hunter said there have been reports of relocated bears, recognized by the yellow tag on their ear, returning to communities for food.
