B.C. woman reunited with goats after unexpected encounter with bear

Adam finds out what happed after a group of miniature goats were scared by one big bear.

METCHOSIN, B.C. — Hounaida Bellasfar was preparing to go for a walk with her dogs when they were startled by a bear in their yard.

“He was right there,” Hounaida points. “I was screaming from the bottom of my heart, and he didn’t want to move.”

The bear looked at the dogs before standing up on its hind legs.

“I was really scared,” Hounaida says. “He was taller than me.”

But Hounaida and the dogs kept making noise for almost an hour, until the bear eventually retreated into the woods.

“My dogs followed him all the way up there,” Hounaida says, pointing the forested hill behind her home.

The dogs eventually came back. But when Hounaida returned home, there was no sign of her goats.

“I took my car, and I drove and I called their name.” Hounaida says the 11 miniature goats, including moms and babies, were all wearing bells around their necks. “I never heard them.”

She searched for them everywhere, for hours, but they were gone.

“It was horrible,” Hounaida says.

Because these weren’t just any goats, they were family — especially Nara.

“She was rejected by her mom,” Hounaida says. “So, I needed to raise her with a bottle.”

Nara and Hounaida were inseparable. When they weren’t watching TV together on the couch, or going for rides in the car, the goat would go for hikes with the dogs.

“So, she thinks I’m her mom,” Hounaida laughs.

There was still no sign of the goats the next morning and Hounaida couldn’t help but think about her work as a grief recovery specialist.

“Instead of panicking and anticipating the negative, just keep being positive,” Hounaida says. “And trust that your prayer will be answered.”

Almost 24 hours later, it was. A neighbour spotted the goats acres away and Hounaida rushed to retrieve them.

“Oh my god! It was amazing!” Hounaida smiles. “I said, ‘Babies!’ They were stuck, but when they saw me, they came running!”

While Hounaida is unsure if goats fled after being scared by the bear’s arrival, or by all the noise being made before it’s departure, there is no doubt she couldn’t be more grateful that she never gave up hope and her furry family is reunited.

“They are my babies,” she smiles, before picking up a baby and kissing its head. “They are not goats!”