A man in Mission is recovering from injuries after a frightening encounter with a black bear Monday morning.
The Ministry of Environment and Parks tells 1130 NewsRadio the incident started around 4 a.m., when the victim woke up to his dog barking at something outside his home.
When he went outside to figure out what was going on, the man saw the bear in his backyard.
He tried making noise to scare the animal away, but the bear ran towards him and swatted his arm, leaving him with non-life-threatening injuries.
Conservation Officers responded, but the bear had taken off by the time they arrived.
Officers have since placed traps and trail cameras in the area in hopes of finding the animal.
Monday’s incident follows another last week, in which police officers tracked, captured, and released a black bear seen wandering around Commercial Drive and Grandview Highway in East Vancouver.
Related:
The BC Conservation Officer Service is reminding residents that bears are active this season, and those visiting an area prone to bear activity should take precautions.
It says B.C. is ‘bear country,’ and if you see one, stop where you are, stay calm and never run away.
—With files from David Nadalini