A large male black bear managed to evade a trap set by conservation officers but a sow and two cubs were not so lucky.
However, the bear family has been given a second chance at life in the wilderness after being trapped off Patullo Crescent in Coquitlam.
“There is no conflict history for them,” said Insp. Murray Smith of the BC Conservation Officer Service, who explained that the bear family was caught in the trap, tranquilized and moved to an undisclosed location away from the city.
However, the 500 pound black bear that was the original target is still on the loose. However, the trap has been removed until COs get another report.
This is the season when bears head down to the creeks and streams in search of returning salmon to eat and bulk up on fruit remaining on trees.
Smith urged people to stay away from creeks at this time and to remove fruit and other attractants from their yard.
However, if people choose to hike in the woods, they should make noise to signal their approach, or wear bear bells to indicate their arrival, Smith said.
Hibernation is still several weeks away, with sows and cubs heading to dens first, followed by three-year-old adolescent bears and finally, older male bears, who don’t usually hibernate until late November or December.
Smith said it takes about five straight days of frost to convince bears to head to their dens for the winter.
