A black bear that tried to bunker down for the winter under a Duncan, B.C. home has gone viral on social media.
Homeowner Crystal Weaver posted a video of the squatter, taken as she stood side-by-side with a conservation officer, on TikTok last week. It has since been viewed more than 4.4 million times.
“My TikTok account is just an account for my dog, so it was just a joke that like — listen to your dog because when it’s barking for weeks on end, there’s maybe a reason for it,” Weaver said.
“I went to bed that night thinking nothing of it and woke up with like, hundreds of thousands of views.”
Weaver said it was her dog who first noticed the bear. The pooch had been barking excessively for several weeks every time she went out of the deck of the home, which is close to a provincial park.
Black bears are frequent visitors to the Vancouver Island community, Weaver added.
“We kind of thought she was just being a silly dog, barking at seagulls or whatever,” she explained.
“Then last Thursday, we were in bed and we kept hearing a bunch of bumping and banging sort of noises … my husband went down there once daylight broke and came about 10 feet from a black bear.”
The B.C. Conservation Officer Service (B.C. COS) used non-lethal measures to scare the bear away so the family could sleep in peace and offered some tips for bear-proofing the area once it left.
“I made sure to be clear that the bear hadn’t been in an issue, and that it had been in our neighbourhood and none of our neighbours had had an issue with it,” Weaver said.
The service also said it would return with a live trap if the bear returned and caused problems.
In an emailed statement, the B.C. COS said bears sometimes take refuge under homes — not only during hibernation, but in the warmer months as well when they can provide day beds or escapes from other competing bears.
“House owners should ensure skirting is secure and leave no access points under homes for wildlife,” the service advised.
“Bears can cause damage under homes such as pushing on gas/water pipes, chewing on joists, dragging garbage under houses which in turns attracts other pests.”
Anyone who suspects a bear may be under their home is urged to call the Report All Poachers and Polluters (RAPP) line at 1-877-952-7277.