Conservation officers are warning people in Port Alberni about an aggressive bear roaming the railroad tracks around Stamp Avenue and Roger Street.
“The Conservation Officer Service received a report of an aggressive black bear in the area,” Conservation Officer Caitlin Bickford said. “There was a bear that bluff charged an individual that was walking on the trail behind the Best Western (Barclay Hotel). There was no contact, (the man) was uninjured.”
However, the bear is still at large, Bickford said.
“We recommend people either stay away from the area or venture there with caution. We recommend carrying bear spray as a means of protection.”
The railroad tracks that parallel Stamp Avenue between Redford Street and Roger Street are often used as a thoroughfare by pedestrians. “It’s not uncommon to see black bears right there.”
The tracks are overgrown and the area is rife with berry bushes. It’s not accessible to put a bear trap, she added.
For more information about bear safety, go online to wildsafebc.com.
susie.quinn@albernivalleynews.com
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