Talk of the town: Security camera captures bear strolling through Truro

Black bear talk of Nova Scotia town A black bear is the talk of a Nova Scotia town after it was captured on surveillance video. Dan MacIntosh reports.

A black bear is the talk of a Nova Scotia town after it was captured on surveillance video, casually strolling through downtown Truro in the middle of the night.

The security camera at Inglis Jewellers records whenever it senses movement on Inglis Place. It’s usually quiet at that hour, so staff were surprised to see that it had recorded something.

“We decided to take a peek at the security footage and there he was, wandering down Inglis Place at 2 a.m.,” says Michelle McCann of Inglis Jewellers.

The Town of Truro has been dealing with an urban deer problem for the last few years, but residents say it’s the first time a bear has been spotted in the town. Some say it was only a matter of time before other animals showed up.

“I wasn’t surprised. I mean, we have enough wildlife in town now with deer and such,” says Victor Miniotas.

While some are curious about the strange new visitor, others admit the sighting has left them feeling nervous.

“Thankfully I wasn’t working. I seen it on Facebook yesterday and I was really shocked. Too close for comfort, actually,” says Melissa Davis.

“I guess there would be safety concerns from hitting a bear with a vehicle, or even for children or other people, if it did get too accustomed to being around people,” says Eric Scott.

A biologist with the Department of Natural Resources says it’s a good sign the bear was walking quickly, and in a straight line. It even passed some garbage containers without giving them a second glance.

Police say they managed to track down the bear seen in the video and watched it as it went into the woods outside town.

Police are advising anyone who does see a bear to call them, or the Department of Natural Resources.

With files from CTV Atlantic's Dan MacIntosh