B.C. Conservation Officer Service members have shot and killed a black bear in North Vancouver's Deep Cove area after the animal bit a woman.
According to a statement, the incident happened around 3 p.m. Wednesday. The woman was gardening outside her home when the bruin bit her.
“Thankfully, the woman was not seriously injured,” the statement read. “Conservation officers and North Vancouver RCMP responded to the area. The offending bear, an untagged large male black bear, was put down by conservation officers to ensure public safety. The COS would like to thank their law enforcement and emergency responder partners for their assistance.”
The BCCOS did not make anyone available for an interview and the statement did not offer any further details.
The killing of the black bear has stoked controversy on social media in the community, with some saying they should not call conservation officers when a bear is around.
The North Shore Black Bear Society, which advocates for peaceful co-existence with bears and does public education to limit attractants in residential neigbourhoods, issued their own statement on Thursday.
“Bears are highly intelligent animals and are very much individuals. For the vast majority of black bears, it is not in their nature to feel comfortable approaching humans. But, based on their life experiences, their age, gender and their individual personality, behaviour occasionally varies,” said co-executive director Holly Reisner. “The combination of these factors for this particular bear is unknown to us, but something caused them to cross a line more than once with their behaviour and this forced the hand of BCCOS in the name of public safety. We must sadly and reluctantly support their decision here.”
The incident came just days after the District of North Vancouver was given Bear Smart Community designation by the BC Conservation Foundation for the municipality’s role in reducing conflicts with bears through its bylaws and waste management practices.
The day before the bear’s killing, the non-profit advocacy group Fur-Bearers released a list of the Top 10 deadliest communities for black bears, based on stats provided by the BCCOS. None of the North Shore municipalities made the list. Prince George led the province with 76 bears killed in 2023. Kamloops, which also has Bear Smart status, was second with 31.
Reisner said she did not know if the bear killed in Deep Cove had a history of accessing non-natural foods or other attractants in the area.
She also acknowledged the turmoil the incident had caused.
“The outcry shows just how deeply Deep Cove and other North Shore residents care for our beautiful bears. We are so thankful to be a part of this community and will pledge to work as hard as we can alongside residents to prevent a similar situation from occurring again,” she said.
