A distressing close call for a young black bear on B.C.’s Sunshine Coast should serve as a warning, animal advocates say.
The incident was captured on camera and fortunately had a happy ending, with the young bruin rescued and relocated.
It happened on Sunday, at the Persephone Brewery near Gibsons.
That’s when the yearling bear got its head stuck in a grease trap outside the business.
“When I got there it was not a pretty sight,” said bear advocate Trina Lindsell.
“He was exhausted, he was panting, he was dehydrated, he was scared, he was overheating.”
Lindsell and Tammy Terfrey, both Sunshine Coast wildlife advocates, were among those called to help the distressed bear.
Lindsell believes the animal may have been stuck in the contraption for as long as 12 hours.
While the details of the incident were unusual, its roots are all too common said Lesley Fox, executive director of the Fur Bearers.
Fox said bears are naturally drawn to any potential food source, be it food scraps, trash, fallen fruit, or restaurant waste.
“The reality is we live in bear country … they are a normal, natural part of the landscape,” she said.
“And with that comes a responsibility to do our part to protect these animals and to ensure we are not causing any situation that can create suffering or even death for these animals.”
In the case on the Sunshine Coast, it appears the business had been attempting to do just that: the grease trap was supposed to be a bear-proof model.
It’s not clear if the equipment was improperly set up, not locked, or whether the bear somehow managed to get in anyway.
Terfrey believes the grease trap wasn’t designed with cubs or juvenile bears in mind.
The RCMP were able to attend the scene, and eventually, an off-duty conservation officer was located who was able to tranquillize the bear.
Using Vaseline, they were able to ease the yearling’s head out of the equipment and it was relocated and released into the woods.
The operators of Persephone Brewing said they were extremely upset by the incident, and are taking greater steps to secure the property.
Lindsell and Tefrey say they hope the incident serves as an example to everyone on the coast, and to other parts of B.C. that share the land with wildlife.
(It was) crushing, heartbreaking,” Lindsell said.
“The fact is another bear is going to come,” added Terfrey.
“This is a farming community with grains, chickens, grease traps, food, it smells good.”