Ursus americanus -- The North Shore Bears

When I was a little girl, my father adopted a baby black bear cub whose mother had been accidentally killed by loggers. The baby bear cried just like a human baby. There are, in fact, urban legends of black bears showing maternal concern when they hear the crying of a human baby, their cries are so much alike. My mother used to feed the baby bear from a baby bottle. It's that time of year again, when the bears wake up and head off in search of food. Vancouver has encroached on the bear population, especially on the North Shore Mountains, and the bears consider outdoor garbage cans, bird feeders and pet food dishes as their veritable smörgåsbord.

"Oh, look, Hank, the humans have left food out for us again. They must like us."

"Well, I guess that's because we're so cute."

Bears are cute -- they're funny and entertaining -- but also very dangerous. Each year in British Columbia, several people are attacked and injured or killed by both black bears and grizzly bears, and black bears can sometimes be predatory. A few years ago, a rancher in the Chilcotin was chased until he fell off his horse and was killed by a black bear. In another incident, two people were attacked and killed in northern British Columbia. The number of people attacked by black bears is about the same as the number attacked by grizzlies, and unfortunately, these numbers have been inceasing as the bear population increases. There are about 160,000 black bears in British Columbia.

The bears in the North Shore Mountains of Vancouver have -- for the most part -- lost their fear of humans. There have been a couple of instances recently of bears swimming across the Burrard Inlet and walking around the City of Vancouver, one in an elementary school playground. It was finally caught by conservation officers in the 2100 block of Franklin Street, and it was tranquilized and released into the wild.

If you encounter at bear remember the four S’s -

• Stay calm
• Stand still
• Speak softly
• Slowly back away

Vancouver also has a Bear Hotline (yes) 604-990-BEAR.

And yes, bears are cute. If you want a chuckle, check out these bear cubs captured on video a couple of years ago in North Vancouver. It's a common sight. Altogether now -- awwwwww....