The B.C. Conservation Officer Service (COS) says crews tranquillized a male black bear that was roaming around the Saanich Peninsula.
The three-year-old bear was captured off Braun Court in Sidney sometime Monday, according to the COS, which says officers assessed it and found it to be healthy.
The Town of Sidney took to Facebook, saying officers are relocating the bruin off the peninsula.
One person in the area told CHEK News they spotted a “fully grown big black bear” along Northbrook Drive, a residential area, around 11:30 a.m. Monday.
They said COS officers were trying to “hit (it) with a tranquillizer dart.”
Story continues below
Earlier Monday, around 10:30 a.m., Randy Eckert photographed a bear in the Greenglade area of Sidney, telling CHEK News he kept his distance using a 600mm camera lens.
“Please keep your safe distance and respect the animal for your own safety,” Eckert wrote in an email.
According to WildSafe BC, which looks to reduce human-wildlife conflict, black bears are most active from April to November. They account for 14,000 to 25,000 calls to the COS each year.
“…they can become more assertive or destructive when they have learned to associate humans and their activities with food,” it says.
If encountering a bear, the B.C. government says to remain calm, keep away, stay with others, and go inside, if possible, bringing your pet with you.
People should also watch until the bear leaves, among other safety tips posted on the government’s website. Feeding dangerous wildlife is also against the law.
Earlier this month, Central Saanich Police advised the public of a bear sighting in the Brentwood Bay area. A video sent to CHEK News showed it ambling around a driveway and into a carport.
All aggressive bears or sightings in urban areas should be reported to the COS at 1-877-952-7277.
READ ALSO: Video shows bear strolling through Central Saanich neighbourhood
Ethan Morneau
