The West Shore RCMP have issued another warning this morning, June 3, that a large black bear has been recently spotted in the View Royal area – the second time this week.
The bear was spotted on Wednesday, walking along 100th Avenue in View Royal, said the West Shore RCMP.
Police tweeted out the warning at 8:00 a.m. in an effort to spread the word and alert the public.
The bear is back, spotted again just now on 100 th Ave of View Royal Rd. Please leave the bear alone and do not approach it. Conservation is being notified. Thank you!!
— West Shore RCMP (@WestshoreRCMP) June 3, 2020
In the tweet, RCMP asked people to “please leave the bear alone and do not approach it.”
At the time of the message, West Shore RCMP suggested that B.C. Conservation Services was being notified.
The warning comes just two days after a bear, presumably the same one, was spotted rummaging through garbage in the View Royal area and walking among the bushes at Portage Park.
Now spotted in Portage Park. I don’t even want to know how close the photographer was! @cfax1070 @CHEK_News @GregorCraigie @WestshoreRCMP pic.twitter.com/wcLFRv0K1Q
— David Screech (@DavidHScreech) June 1, 2020
Wildlife sightings have been on the rise in the past few months, with multiple reports all over Greater Victoria from Saanich to Colwood.
Just this week, a different black bear was euthanized in the Langford area because it had become accustomed to eating garbage.
“We made a decision this bear was not a candidate for relocation. Conservation officer service does not relocate bears that are habituated to garbage, so the unfortunate and tough decision we have to make is to euthanize the bear,” said BC Conservation Officer Sgt. Scott Norris.
Fewer than two weeks ago in Saanich, a mother bear and her cub were spotted in Elk/Beaver Lake Regional Park. Early Tuesday morning, another was spotted on Carey Road.
Conservation officers say people must take responsibility for their garbage, keeping it secure and inside when possible.
“Otherwise when bears come into our neighbourhoods and they learn to access these food sources, they become habituated and become a public safety threat,” Norris adds.
Leaving garbage out that’s accessible to bears can lead to a $230 fine, according to B.C. Conservation Services.
Graham Cox
