A female bear wasn't looking for a picnic basket when she was spotted wandering near the sports fields at Town Centre Park Sunday morning. More likely she was following the natural green belt and got caught in the midst of a busy soccer tournament and became frightened.
"It was running around and obviously stressed," said Sgt. Todd Hunter, who was called to the park around 11 a.m. by anxious onlookers. "It found itself in a natural area and was having a hard time finding its way out."
The bear eventually climbed a tree across from the Coquitlam Town Centre Fire Hall, where it stayed until conservation officers tranquilized it with the help of firefighters and a ladder truck.
The female bear was monitored overnight, kept in a bear trap in a quiet spot in the woods, and as of Monday morning had fully recovered.
Hunter said the bear would be moved to an undisclosed spot deep in the woods, preferably near natural food sources, such as skunk cabbage, and water.
There were no cubs with the bear, which is about three years old, and the conservation officers have no history with this bear so it's likely she will retreat to the forest and stay, eating grasses and skunk cabbage, which are plentiful this time of year.
