‘It was amazing’: Residents baffled by bear brawl on Metro Vancouver street

What looked like an intense fight brought traffic to a standstill in Burnaby. The heated exchange wasn’t between two people, but two black bears.

Two black bears stunned residents in Burnaby, B.C., over the weekend, when they engaged in a fierce drawn-out brawl that was captured on camera.

The dramatic encounter unfolded Saturday afternoon on Beaverbrook Crescent, where residents watched from the safety of their cars as the two bears wrestled, growled and snapped at each other in the middle of the road.

“It was pretty amazing,” said Anne Ng, who witnessed the fight.

Her son Matthew Chow, was among those who recorded the confrontation from inside a vehicle.

“The two bears were fighting each other, and it got intense at some points. they were ripping each other’s fur out,” he said. “I don’t think I’ll ever see that again.”

The bears appeared completely unconcerned by the growing number of vehicles stopping to watch, staying laser-focused on one another as they exchanged blows.

No one approached or honked, giving the animals space to let the confrontation run its course.

“Some cars backed away, and some just turned around and left,” said Ng.

While black bear fights aren’t unheard of, they rarely play-out in front of humans.

They are often disputes over territory, dominance, or mating rights.

The incident which lasted about an hour has been reported to B.C. Conservation Officer Service, and residents were told that two large bears were spotted in the neighbourhood.

“I go for walks every day by this area, by the creek,” said resident Al Suleman. “I think it’s going to scare me now for a while.”

Witnesses told CTV News that the clash subsided eventually, and the bears wandered back into the woods.