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Unusual black bear sighting in South Surrey neighbourhoods

Click to play video: 'Unusual bear sighting in South Surrey'
Unusual bear sighting in South Surrey
WATCH: Bear sightings are common on the North Shore and in the Tri-cities. But as Janet Brown reports, this a rare occurrence in an area not known to be bear aware. – Jul 15, 2024

The BC Conservation Officer Service says it is monitoring reports of bear activity in South Surrey.

Residents reported seeing the bear, which is unusual in that area, this past weekend. It was seen on Sunday in the Rosemary Heights area and according to Facebook posts, it made its way up the hill into Grandview Heights, where it was sighted wandering around a townhouse complex.

On Monday, residents reported seeing a bear wandering in the area of 174 Street and 21A Avenue.

The Conservation Service said people in the area should be cautious of their surroundings and ensure that attractants such as garbage, pet food and bird seed are stored securely so that bears cannot access them.

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Jovan Rai lives in the area and told Global News he saw the bear outside his home on Monday morning.

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“He was extremely big,” Rai said.

Click to play video: 'Pair of bear encounters in B.C. communities'
Pair of bear encounters in B.C. communities

He added that it can be a busy area. He saw the bear crawl over a fence so he was concerned if there were people or pets in the neighbourhood.

“If you see that barbecue there,” Rai said, pointing to his barbecue, “it was probably two times, if you take two of those for the width, now imagine that all hairy with a head.”

He added that he’s never seen a bear in the neighbourhood before.

Rai’s brother, Arjan, told Global News he was playing video games when he saw the bear walking slowly through the yard.

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