Resident outraged after black bear is killed by conservation officers in Deep Cove

Outrage over black bear's death There's outrage in a North Vancouver neighbourhood after conservation officers killed a black bear they say was too comfortable around humans.

Vancouver — A North Vancouver resident is outraged at conservation officers for euthanizing a black bear Wednesday.

The bear was regularly sighted along Beachview Drive in Deep Cove and even had a name coined by those who liked to see it there.

“Plum was not an aggressive bear, I know this bear she’s been on my backyard, she’s been on my driveway,” said Nancy Bleck.

According to the conservation officers, someone called 911 on Wednesday reporting a bear was pushing on a glass window with fears the bear would get inside their home.

“Tolerating a bear in a residential area like this is not an option,” said BC Conservation Officer Service Sgt. Simon Gravel. “There are kids all over the place.”

Officers arrived in the area shortly after and euthanized the bear on site.

In Bleck’s mind, officers acted too quickly.

In a photo circulation online, she and other neighbours are seen kneeling down next to the motionless bear with a hand on its back paw.

“She was still warm, she was probably confused about what happened because she was a good bear,” said Bleck who is organizing a memorial service for the animal.

As a resident of the street “Plum” frequently wandered in, Bleck said she wished she had told everyone else how best to handle their encounters.

“If a bear is in your backyard even if it is tapping a window you just have to move her along and she will go. You bang some pots and pans with a firm voice,” she added,

On Thursday a trail of blood still remained along the beach and steps that connect Beachview Drive to the waterfront.

And as Bleck reflected on what happened to the bear, she says she is planning to incite change.

Thinking perhaps those living on the North Shore should be more educated in wild life encounters.

“You don’t come to the North Shore without some knowledge of bears, cougars and coyotes. These are our neighbours,” Bleck said.

In 2020 three bears have been euthanized with more than 800 wildlife complaints being reported on the North Shore alone.

The North Shore Black Bear Society warns those numbers will only go up as black bears become more active in the autumn months.

“We live in the North Shore in their home, we will always see them travelling through residential areas,” said Luci Cadman with the NSBBS.

“Killing cannot be the answer. We need to see non-lethal management of bears in B.C.”