Two Squamish residents had an unfriendly encounter at home on their steps in the Garibaldi Estates area last Thursday (October 6th), when a black bear entered their yard and attacked them.

The District of Squamish says the medium-sized bear inflicted cuts and bruises to the residents, and described the attack as territorial.

The Conservation Officer Service (COS) responded to the incident, set a bear trap, and confirmed on Sunday that a bear that matched the description had been captured. Inspector Murray Smith says the bear was euthanized shortly after. The bear in question had not been tagged before, nor had it been relocated previously, but appears it had been in the neighbourhood for several weeks.

The COS said the bear was fairly deep into the subdivision and was likely in the area for sometime, as there had been reports of a bear in the area that was into garbage, compost and fruit trees. Smith says; ‘We really need the public to be vigilante with their attractants’. He says the residents attacked did nothing wrong, they had no attractants, they were just unlucky.

So far in Squamish, 480 bear calls have been received this year according to the COS, 350 of those calls in the last two months. In the Sea to Sky Zone 8 tickets have been issued this year, associated to ‘leaving a substance that could attract dangerous wildlife to the land or premises’ under the Wildlife Act. The tickets each come with a $345 fine for the offence.

Bear activity continues to be high in Squamish with daily reports of bears accessing non-natural food sources such as garbage, fruit trees and bird feeders. If you can, store your garbage and organics totes indoors, ensure all fruit trees and gardens have been harvested and that there are no attractants.

To view bear activity in your neighbourhood, visit WildSafeBC.com. Please continue to report sightings to the COS at 1-877-952-7277.

Filed under: Bear, District of Squamish, Squamish, Wildlife