B.C.'s Conservation Officer Service (COS) is warning Coquitlam trail runners to stay away from the upper portion of the Coquitlam Crunch Trail above Panorama Drive after a bear swiped at a woman Saturday.
The agency responsible for monitoring wildlife complaints and enforcement stated in a Tweet Sunday that it had closed the trail segment and posted a photo of the sign.
According to B.C. COS, the runner was approached by a bear on the Coquitlam Crunch trail Saturday.
@_BCCOS says Upper part of #Coquitlam Crunch is closed due to bear approaching a woman. Trap has been set. #BearAware Video shows what happened. pic.twitter.com/xkGoUm069U
— Diane Strandberg (@DstrandbergTC) August 31, 2020
The bear swatted at the runner's leg during the encounter. However, the runner was not injured.
In a video taken by another person on the trail, the runner stood still as the bear approached.
#BCCOS has closed the upper portion of the #Coquitlam Crunch trail after a runner was swatted on the leg by a black bear. The public is urged to be vigilant, take safety precautions and asked to report any bear sightings in the area to the #RAPP line. For tips, visit @wildsafebc pic.twitter.com/4PHPqnVdX1
— BC CO Service (@_BCCOS) August 30, 2020
While the lower portion of the trail remains open, the public is asked to be vigilant and reminded that they are "recreating in bear country," according to a statement from the Ministry of Environment.
People are also referred to Wildsafe BC on what to do when encountering black bears.
The website states that while most bear encounters result in the bear leaving an area, they can become assertive or destructive when they have learned to associate humans and their activities with food.
Bears that are aggresive in nature or sightings in urban areas should be reported to the BCOS at 1-877-952-7277. Reports can be viewd on Wildsafe BC's Wildlife Alert Reporting Program.
More to come...
