Bear on the loose in New Westminster had to be put down, according to BCCOS

A bear that had been spotted roaming around a West Minster neighbourhood has been put down, according to the BC Conservation Officer Service (BCCOS).

Conservation officers told Daily Hive in an email that they received numerous calls about the bear which had been spotted wandering through residential yards “with people nearby.”

“COs were able to locate the bear, and it was safely tranquillized and underwent a thorough assessment, which included a review of its history,” they stated.

On Thursday, July 6, the New Westminster Police Department said it was working with conservation officers to chase down a bear seen on the west side of the city near 14th Street and London Street.

Thanks for bearing with the disturbance. Our friends at @_BCCOS will help this little guy get back home safely. Thanks Conservation Officers! #NewWest 🐻 pic.twitter.com/QJhosOD4qi

— New Westminster Police Department (@NewWestPD) July 6, 2023

Unfortunately, it’s not the first time that the officers and the subadult bear have crossed paths.

Through an ear tag, officers were able to determine that they’d been in contact with the bear in the past.

“This could be for several reasons, but in this case, this bear had already been relocated from Burnaby to a wilderness area on June 16th,” they stated. “It returned to a high-density urban setting only three weeks later.”

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They added, “Despite our best efforts, this bear was simply too comfortable around urban settings and people, and to ensure public safety, the bear was put down. We know this is an unfortunate outcome that we work so hard to prevent.”

Officers are reminding the public that the best way to keep people and bears safe is “to secure attractants.”

“Please don’t let garbage, pet food or birdseed attract wildlife into communities and create conflicts,” they stated.

According to Canadian charity The Fur-Bearers, there’s been a 14% drop in the number of bears killed by BCCOS in 2022 compared to 2021.

With files from Sarah Anderson