There was a heavy police presence in northwest Calgary Thursday evening as they dealt with an unusual call.
Police said they were called at around 8:25 p.m. to the northwest community of Arbour Lake for reports of a black bear that was seen running around the neighbourhood.
Andrew Beaudin said he was driving home with his family when they spotted the animal.
“We were driving westbound along Country Hills and we stopped at the lights and my wife looked at me and was like ‘Is that a bear?’ We took a look over and sure enough, there was a black bear on the grass beside Stoney Trail and the off-ramp to Country Hills.”
Beaudin said his kids were excited to see the bear.
“They were a little worried that it started to run when it got spooked. It was running towards the on-ramp towards Stoney Trail so they were a little concerned about it.”
He said he has lived in Royal Oak for almost 11 years but has never seen a bear.
Officers closed down a section of Arbour Lake Road and said the animal was in a wooded area.
A bear trap was brought in to try to capture the bear.
A Calgary police helicopter was also called in to monitor the bear’s movements and ensure it did not move towards homes or people.
Police said the bear was last seen jumping over a barrier north of Stoney Trail and they don’t believe it to be a danger to the public.
Cox added that sightings of this bear should be reported to the 24-hour Report A Poacher line at 1-800-642-3800.
Bear safety tips are available on the Alberta Government’s bear safety web page.