B.C. conservation officers are investigating after a person in Whistler filmed a bear eating out of a take-out container.
Posted to TikTok on Oct. 15 by user crystal_chair, the 22-second video shows a bear eating out of the container on a bench mere inches away from the person filming, before they move away.
B.C. Conservation Officer Service told Black Press Media it is aware of the video showing the bear eating, as well as it being followed as it leaves the area. Officers are investigating where the video came from and its circumstances and “will take enforcement action as necessary.”
“We are dismayed and disappointed at the dangerous position the individual filming this encounter placed themselves in due to the close proximity to the bear, and the apparent disregard to the safety of the bear itself,” reads the statement.
The service said feeding a bear – whether directly or indirectly – is illegal and often leads to the death of the bear through euthanization. Once a bear becomes used to non-natural foods and shows a minimal fear of people, “it is no longer a candidate for relocation or rehabilitation due to the risk to public safety.”
The service added it cannot stress enough the importance of not feeding dangerous wildlife.
In September, a bear had to be put down after it was spotted roaming around Langley after reports that people had been feeding it.
READ MORE: Bear euthanized after Sunday capture in downtown Langley
The BCCOS spokesperson said while Whistler residents and visitors may be used to seeing black bears, “this complacency can lead to escalating bear conflicts that can put people, and bears, at risk.”
People are reminded to take precautions in wildlife encounters, including giving bears space. Don’t approach bears or stop to take pictures.
On Oct. 11, the service posted to X (formerly Twitter) that bears are in their hyperphagia phase – an extreme urge to eat food – as they prepare for winter. To keep the bears out of communities, it’s crucial to secure fruit and vegetable gardens, beehives, chickens and other small livestock.
Bears are in their hyperphagia (extreme urge to eat food) phase in preparation for winter, and to keep them out of communities it is crucial to secure fruit and vegetable gardens, beehives, chickens, and other small livestock.
— BC CO Service (@_BCCOS) October 11, 2023
– With a file from Dan Ferguson
READ MORE: Sharp rise in number of bears being put down in B.C.