Theft of stuffed bear 'Leroy' caught on surveillance camera

Extended: Bear-napping caught on security cam A large stuffed animal was stolen off a Vancouver patio, according to its owner. Two suspects were filmed walking away with the bear.

A pair of bear-nappers was caught on surveillance camera stealing a massive stuffed bruin from a Vancouver patio.

Leroy, 5-foot toy black bear, has watched over Coal Harbour from the patio of his owners' apartment for 11 years.

The bear is so well-known that he's become an unofficial mascot for the neighbourhood, posing for passersby from his perch during nice weather.

"On holidays it either carried an American flag or Canadian flag, dependent on what country was celebrating," his owner Bruce Kaufman told CTV News.

"Tourists and residents would stop and point the bear out to their children, smile, and take many pictures."

But Leroy went missing on Sunday afternoon, and his owners checked with the building’s strata to see if his disappearance was caught on camera.

The surveillance photos, which Kaufman sent to CTV, shows a male and female walking down a path while carrying the bear, shortly after 1 p.m. The pair appears to be in their 20s or 30s, and both are white.

The man in the photos was wearing a black tank top and blue jeans and carrying a skateboard. The woman was wearing a white T-shirt and dark pants. Both were wearing dark-coloured baseball caps and sunglasses.

Leroy's owner said he hopes the couple drops off the bear, unharmed, at a firehouse.

"No questions will be asked," he said Tuesday.

Police confirmed that they are investigating the theft, and said that photos of the bear and the couple will be circulated among officers who may be able to identify the suspects.

Leroy's bear-napping is the second teddy abduction reported in Metro Vancouver in recent weeks.

Last month, a similar-sized toy named Bearamel Macchiato was taken from Creekside Coffee Factory in Coquitlam.

The afternoon theft was captured on surveillance camera, and the 5-foot-9 teddy was returned a week after the incident.