Conservation officers stopped by a Port Coquitlam park this morning after four black bears were spotted on a playground.
Officers received a call about the bears at the Lions Park around 11 a.m. The park was quickly evacuated.
By time conservation officers arrived, the bears were gone.
It’s not uncommon to see bears in the park, which is located next to the Coquitlam River.
“Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody – you’re going to have bear sightings all around town,” says conservation officer Cody Ambrose.
“It’s a natural bear habitat. Just because there’s a bear walking through a greenbelt doesn’t mean there’s any cause for concern.”
“If it’s a bear on playground, or a bear trying to enter a home, we will attend and assess it from there.”
A two-to-three year old black bear had to put down this weekend, after it was spotted repeatedly in Wellington Park, also in Port Coquitlam.
Several complaints had been received about the bear over the past few weeks, and the bear had become habituated, eating from garbage cans.
Port Coquitlam recently passed a bylaw mandating that all residents install a “critter guard” on their garbage and green waste bins at a cost of $75.
Ambrose says any sightings of bears in popular areas should be reported to 1-877-952-7277.
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