A Vancouver Island woman is sharing her video encounter with a young bear in Sooke, B.C.
Shannon Lee Rae was driving home to Shirley, B.C., after taking a ferry from the mainland when she saw the bear walking by on Wednesday night.
"So it was about quarter after midnight, and I'm a hyper careful driver, and I still had another 25 minutes to get to Shirley. So I thought I'd just pull over in the mall and close my eyes for five minutes and make it safe," she said.
"Once I pulled into the mall I saw a black shadow and thought, 'Oh my stars it's a bear.'"
Rae says the bear seemed "pretty chill" as it sauntered down the sidewalk outside Evergreen Centre.
"Really the thing that shocked me most was [that] on the other side was a cleaner," she said.
"Oh that guy has no idea what's happening," she thought at the time.
SURPRISED BUT NOT SHOCKED
Since Rae lives in the relatively remote area of Shirley, she says it's common for her to see black bears, though she admits it's less common to see them on the street.
This year, with the island's long and cooler spring weather, Rae thinks that bears are having a harder time finding food than usual.
Rae thinks the bear on Wednesday night was a yearling that was probably on "his first summer away from his mom."
"The berry crop is so poor and so delayed," she said. "We've been having a real problem."
"A bear's got half a dozen of our ducks," said Rae, adding that some of her neighbour's poultry have been eaten as well.
Rae says she doesn't blame the bears but it's a good reminder to be cautious around the animals and make sure attractants are locked up tight.
She adds that she didn't contact conservation officers since the bear wasn't causing issues, and because there's so many black bears in the Sooke and Shirley areas already.
"I think it's just really wonderful where we live in a place where we get to see these things and we all have to do our part to make sure [everyone's safe]," she said.
