Whistler bear put down after getting dangerously close to woman

A black bear in Whistler has been euthanized after it was seen getting dangerously close to someone at a bus stop earlier this month.

A video posted to TikTok shows the encounter, in which the bear walks right up to a seated woman and appears to sniff around her for about 10 seconds before walking away.

The woman stayed calm and was not hurt.

@nataliesgeo When encountering a black bear your safest option is to be gentle and make noise so it doesn’t feel surprised or threatened #wildlife #BC #canada ♬ original sound – Natalie Wannamaker

The BC Conservation Officer Service (COS) says several people reported the bear, both at the bus stop as well as in Rebagliati Park.

The bear “displayed food-conditioned behaviour that showed a minimal fear of people,” the COS said.

It says the bear was eating human food at the park while a day camp passed by, grabbed a backpack out of someone’s hand, and made contact with someone sitting at a picnic table.

“Due to the public safety risk, this bear is not a candidate for relocation or rehabilitation,” the COS said in a statement. “On July 9th, the bear was put down by Conservation Officers, as the risk to public safety was simply far too great.”

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In the TikTok video, an off-camera voice is heard telling the person at the bus stop to stay calm and talk to encourage the bear to leave. The COS suggests this is the right approach.

“If you are approached by a bear, stay calm, make yourself large and speak in a firm voice.”

The service is urging people to make sure garbage, pet food, bird seed, and other attractants are secured in a way that prevents bears and other wildlife from accessing them.

“Never feed wildlife. Remember to be aware of your surroundings, carry bear spray, and travel in groups.”

Over the Canada Day long weekend, another black bear was seen capturing a gosling in Burnaby’s Central Park.

Video of the bear chasing two geese and two goslings was posted to reddit. All but one gosling got away. Pitch-and-putt golfers moved aside as the bear caught the young animal.

Editor’s note: The following video may be disturbing to some viewers.

Initially, the bear had been tranquilized, but the COS said it had no choice but to put it down.

At the time, the service said as of April, 23 bears in B.C. had been euthanized.

With files from Hana Mae Nassar