A young bear that was hanging out at Minnekhada Lodge, watching weddings, chewing on plastic cones and playing near the pool has left the area, likely in search of food and new territory.
Conservation officers say the young adult hasn't reappeared since a trap was removed last Thursday and seems to have changed its habits.
"The hope is that he would change his behavior, he did, he did move on; so far we haven't received any further complaints," said Sgt. Todd Hunter of the BC Conservation Officer Service.
The bear caused a bit of consternation when it started hanging out at the lodge located in Minnekhada Regional Park in Coquitlam, which is a popular wedding destination as well as a place for people to hike and bird watch.
It reportedly hung around during a wedding, watching the ceremony from a nearby tractor, popped an air mattress and played with parking pylons, which suggested the bear was habituated to humans and their objects.
But some local naturalists said it was the human activity that was luring the bear to the area in the first place, and the bear trap wouldn't have been necessary if the gear wasn't left out and parties and weddings didn't happen.
"The bear is not posing a threat," said Maya Lakhani, who had planned to start a petition against the trap if it hasn't been removed, and was worried about harm to the bruin.
But Hunter said a survey of the area found no food or waste attractants or other things that could lure bears, other than the nearby blueberry farms.
"They are going about doing their thing," Hunter said of the bears, "What we need to do is to ask people in that area to be cognizant of the bears and to interact with them the same way as if there are in the wild."
That means don't pursue them down trails and to travel in groups while in the park.
Roger Bean, operations supervisor for Metro Vancouver Parks, said the Minnekhada park caretaker is also well aware of bear safety measures, locking up food and waste, and with blueberry season almost over, he doesn't anticipate any further issues, although bears may still be around.
In previous years, the road to the park was shut down to avoid conflicts between bears and humans but that hasn't been necessary this year, Bean said.
"The bears are well-behaved and for the most part the humans are well-behaved, as well."
