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
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
Fewer medical students going into family medicine contributing to doctor shortage
As some family doctors are retiring and others are moving away from family medicine, there are fewer medical students to take their place.
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
Bodies found by U.S. authorities searching for missing B.C. kayakers
United States authorities who have been searching for a pair of missing kayakers from British Columbia since the weekend have recovered two bodies in the nearby San Juan Islands of Washington state.
'It's discriminatory': Individuals refused entry to Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
Individuals being barred from entering Ontario’s legislature while wearing a keffiyeh say the garment is part of their cultural identity— and the only ones making it political are the politicians banning it.
Competition bureau finds 'substantial' anti-competitive effects with proposed Bunge-Viterra merger
The proposed merger of agricultural giants Viterra and Bunge is raising competition concerns from the federal government.
Douglas DC-4 plane with 2 people on board crashes into river outside Fairbanks, Alaska
A Douglas C-54 Skymaster airplane crashed into the Tanana River near Fairbanks on Tuesday, Alaska State Troopers said.
BREAKING Mounties will not be charged in shooting death of B.C. Indigenous man
Three Mounties in British Columbia will not face charges in the killing of a 38-year-old Indigenous man on Vancouver Island in 2021.