It was both a good year and a bad year for wild animals in the Tri-Cities.
With Port Moody, Port Coquitlam and Coquitlam a haven for creatures who play, eat and sleep in nearby ravines, bushes and forests, there are bound to be times when humans come into contact with their furry and winged neighbors.
Such was the case in 2014, when bears were very much in evidence, keeping kids indoors at school on some days when they were in the neighborhood, and keeping local conservation officers busy, when they were causing problems and eating garbage.
In August, several bears got some unscheduled shut-eye when they were tranquilized and removed from trees in the Glen Drive area of Coquitlam.
Five bears, including a sow and three cubs and an unrelated male bear, had to be tranquilized because they wouldn't leave the trees and had been eating garbage from trash bins left unsecured.
At the time, RCMP spokesperson Const. Michelle Luca said the whole ordeal could have been avoided if people did a better job containing their waste, especially on garbage day.
BEARS IN THE NEWS
In September, a bear spent a few days in a Port Coquitlam neighborhood, drawing the attention of local media.
And earlier in the summer, a cougar was shot by Port Moody police because of concerns about safety. A PMPD spokesperson said the cougar, normally a reclusive animal, had been moving closer to homes in the area instead of departing into the woods.
It had taken up a perch in a hemlock tree in the 100 block of April Road and residents were told to stay indoors while police dealt with the animal.
But there were good news stories about animals, too.
An endangered Western Painted Turtle that was found with a fishing hook embedded in its mouth was rescued from Lost Lake in Mundy Park in Coquitlam by the Wildlife Rescue Association of B.C. The rare creature was taken to a sanctuary and was considered for a captive breeding program.
The Burnaby-based organization also helped rehabilitate three baby barn owls that were found in construction materials that were removed from the old Port Mann Bridge.
After they recuperated from their ordeal, the barn owls were transferred to the Orphaned Wildlife Rehabilitation Society (OWL) in Delta,, which has special facilities for rearing young owls.
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Not all bear stories were bad news, as evidenced by this photo of a relaxing black bear taken by Colin Clasen beside a blueberry field near Deboville Slough in September.
