Port Hardy residents warned after man encounters 'aggressive black bear' in town
The BC Conservation Officer Service is warning residents of Port Hardy to "take precautions" after a man had an encounter with "an aggressive black bear" in the district on Friday.
The incident occurred early in the morning near Market and Granville streets, according to a Facebook post by the BCCOS.
The service did not elaborate on the nature of the man's encounter with the bear, other than to say that he was "eventually able to get to safety with the help of local RCMP members."
"Port Hardy residents are accustomed to bears wandering through town, but this bear was unusually aggressive, so the public should maintain safe distances from bears at all times," the BCCOS post reads.
Conservation officers are working to track down the bear, and municipal officials have been asked to post signs in the area, according to the service.
"Residents are asked to familiarize themselves with safety tips, including travelling in groups, making noise and carrying bear spray," the service said, adding that a full list of tips can be found on the provincial government's website.
In an email to CTV News on Sunday, the BCCOS said no additional sightings of the bear had been reported.
"Officers continue to monitor and patrol the community," the service said.
B.C. conservation officers killed more than 500 black bears in 2021, typically because the animals had shown signs of becoming accustomed to unnatural food sources – such as trash – or habituated to the presence of humans.
Included in the 2021 total were 77 cubs, many of which were not killed out of necessity, according to an animal-rights organization that has filed a complaint against the conservation officer service.
In the first four months of this year, 39 black bears were killed by conservation officers in the province, and officers responded to just under 200 calls about the animals. Calls about bears to BCCOS typically increase in the summer months.
With files from CTV News Vancouver's Alyse Kotyk and Tahmina Aziz
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
Crypt near Marilyn Monroe and Hugh Hefner could fetch US$400,000 at auction
A one-space mausoleum crypt in the vicinity of Marilyn Monroe and Hugh Hefner will go on auction Saturday, when it is expected to reach between US$200,000 and $400,000.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
A fight to protect the dignity of Michelangelo's David raises questions about freedom of expression
Michelangelo's David has been a towering figure in Italian culture since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue's religious and political significance is being diminished.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Premiers not being truthful about carbon tax, Trudeau says while sparks fly in Ottawa
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Conservative premiers across the country are 'not telling the truth' when it comes to the carbon tax. Trudeau's comments came as fresh sparks were flying in Ottawa at a recalled House of Commons committee.
Far North police 'dispatch' polar bear stalking schoolyard
Police and local hunters in an Ontario Far North First Nation community have “dispatched” a polar that was showing abnormal behaviour and treating the area as a hunting ground.