Nanaimo issues warning after mother bear, cubs spotted in parks
The City of Nanaimo is warning residents to be on the lookout after a mother bear and her two cubs were reported in two recent sightings.
The first sighting occurred around 3:30 p.m. Friday in the Colliery Dam Park area, according to the city.
In that sighting, the city said a "bear sow with two cubs" had been spotted.
On Monday afternoon, the city warned of another sighting of a "mom and two cubs," this time at Bowen Park, particularly in the lower eastern part of the park.
City staff have now put up signs warning of bear activity in both park areas, and have made announcements on social media.
A bear sign is pictured in Nanaimo, B.C. (CTV News)
"Due to the level of activity, the conservation service has been notified regarding the bear in Bowen Park though it has not been described as an aggressive bear," said Charlotte Davis, manager of parks operations for Nanaimo.
"This is a reminder for parks users to be aware when on the trails this spring and to always dispose of any waste in a responsible way so as to reduce interactions between bears and humans," she said.
With bears becoming more active in spring, conservation officers are reminding residents to keep their garbage indoors or locked up tight.
A black bear is pictured outside Melinda Mills' window in Nanaimo, B.C. (Submitted)
In late April, two bear encounters were recorded in Nanaimo where the animals were munching on garbage.
"I can’t stress it enough, if you don’t secure your garbage, you’re going to get a bear killed," said Sgt. Stuart Bates of the B.C. Conservation Officers Service on May 3.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW From yearning for a change to cost of living, why some Canadians have left or may leave the country
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
NEW Capital gains tax change 'shortsighted' and 'sows division' business groups tell Freeland
Forging ahead with increasing Canada's capital gains inclusion rate 'sows division,' and is a 'shortsighted' way to improve the deficit, business groups are warning Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland.
Minister said 'hundreds' of Canadians might use Gaza visa. More than 7,500 applied.
An immigration lawyer in Toronto says new figures from the federal government show just how 'grudging' Ottawa's efforts have been to rescue Canadians' family members from the war in the Gaza Strip.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Canucks claw out 5-4 comeback win over Oilers in Game 1
Dakota Joshua had a goal and two assists and the Vancouver Canucks scored three third-period goals to claw out a 5-4 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Wednesday.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Florida deputies who fatally shot U.S. airman burst into wrong apartment, attorney says
Deputies responding to a disturbance call at a Florida apartment complex burst into the wrong unit and fatally shot a Black U.S. Air Force airman who was home alone when they saw he was armed with a gun, an attorney for the man's family said Wednesday.
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.