Two bear cubs that ended up stuck in a Sooke dumpster were reunited with their waiting mother thanks to the efforts of BC Conservation officers.

The officers received a report of two cubs trapped in a garbage bin Monday morning, and arrived to find the bears huddled together as the mother watched from the distance.

They then used chemical immobilization drugs to put the cubs to sleep, and one of the officers climbed into the dumpster, loaded the bears onto a blanket and hauled them out.

"We took them to the neighbouring property beside a ravine and then waited for the sow to come over and the cubs to wake up," said BC Conservation Officer Scott Norris.

In the end, it was a happy reunion between mother and cubs, but Norris says it also serves as a reminder that bears are still actively looking for food.

"We have a number of bears in the Colwood-Langford area and are getting daily calls of them getting into garbage," said Norris.

Conservation is reminding the public that it remains illegal to leave garbage and other animal attractants outside, and that doing so can result in stiff penalties.

He said the bears involved in the call had no prior conflict with humans, and the cubs were tagged prior to being released.

Anyone who witnesses a human-wildlife contact or a violation is asked to report it to the Conservation Officer Service's RAPP line at 1-877-952-7277.