An Okanagan woman says it was surprising to see a bear on her deck on Friday morning, trying to score an easy snack from two bird feeders.
Karen Sherwood of Vernon, B.C., said she was in her living room, reading and having a coffee around 9 a.m., when she heard a “heavy” noise coming across the lawn.
“So I stood up to see what was coming, and the bear jumped up and sat on top of the (deck) railing,” Sherwood told Global News, estimating the bear jumped seven feet in performing the balancing feat.
“It was just amazing. In a second, it came from the ground to on top of the railing. And it sat on the railing.”
After briefly sitting on the wood railing, the bear jumped onto the deck, then ambled over to a large window, peering in before inspecting a birdseed feeder and a hummingbird feeder.
Video shows the bear inspecting the feeders before being scared away, courtesy of the Sherwoods pounding on their living room window.
“He went right for the feeders,” said Sherwood, adding their property borders forest, so it’s not unusual to see wildlife.
“It’s not uncommon to see bears in the area, but it’s the first one I’ve seen one looking at (bird feeders).”
Sherwood said it’s worrisome that “perhaps he’s been here before. I’m not sure, but he knew he wanted those things.”
According to WildSafeBC, black bears account for 14,000 to 25,000 calls per year to the Conservation Officer Service.
“While most bear encounters result in the bear leaving an area, they can become more assertive or destructive when they have learned to associate humans and their activities with food,” said WildSafeBC.
It added that aggressive bears or sightings in urban areas should be reported to the Conservation Officer Service at 1-877-952-7277.
These reports can be viewed on its Wildlife Alert Reporting Program.
The province also has a program dedicated to bear safety.