A seemingly entertaining video of a fridge-raiding bear displayed behaviour that led to it being killed by conservation officers
At first glance, a video of a bear enjoying a stolen snack on someone’s front stoop would likely make you smile or even chuckle. But to conservation officers, that kind of behaviour is a serious red flag.
In a statement Friday, B.C. Conservation Officer Service said the bear was put down Thursday, after receiving reports that it had tried numerous times to enter people’s homes. The COS said its officers had worked with bylaw officials to try and stop the issue of unsecure attractants – primarily waste bins that weren’t secured properly – that drove the bear to stick around the neighbourhood for weeks.
“Unfortunately, the sad reality is that when people do not take precautions to properly secure attractants, it often leads to bears being put down in order to keep people safe,” the statement reads. “Conservation officers will be following up with enforcement action as warranted.”