British ColumbiaA black bear that was recorded stealing food from picnickers in B.C.’s Lower Mainland has been killed, according to conservation officers. A video of the bear approaching people has been viewed millions of times on social media.Some residents call on city, province to do more to protect wildlifeCBC News · Posted: Sep 05, 2025 7:03 PM EDT | Last Updated: 8 hours agoA black bear is seen climbing into a trap set on Burnaby Mountain, before being killed by conservation officers, who said it posed a risk to humans in the area because of its lack of fear and willingness to go after food. (CBC News)A black bear that was recorded stealing food from picnickers in B.C.’s Lower Mainland has been killed, according to conservation officers.The bear had been spotted multiple times in Burnaby Mountain Park, adjacent to Simon Fraser University, according to provincial conservation officer Kent Popjes.That includes three days in a row when it was reported “accessing picnic lunches,” followed by an incident on Aug. 31 that was captured on video, racking up millions of views on social media.WATCH | Black bear surprises picknickers: #TheMoment a black bear stole people’s picnic snacksDivyanshu and Upasana Chaubisa tell The National about the moment they saw a black bear steal people’s picnic snacks in Burnaby Mountain Park, B.C.While no one was harmed, Popjes said the bear was no longer exhibiting safe behaviour around humans and could not be considered for safe coexistence.”Basically that’s the kind of bear that’s completely lost its fear of humans and it will walk up and grab food, likely from your hand,” he said. “The public safety threshold was exceeded for a bear that we can tolerate in the community.”On Thursday, CBC News cameras captured footage of a bear walking into a live trap that had been set for the bear.On Friday, the Conservation Officer Service confirmed it was the same bear — and that it had been killed.Petition launched to save bearThe incident has sparked a call from some Burnaby residents for more to be done to protect wildlife.Kateryna Kurduk, who lives in the Burnaby Mountain area, said she and other neighbours in the area were dismayed that a lethal option for the bear was pursued.WATCH | Burnaby Mountain resident opposes bear killing: Residents oppose trap set for picnic-stealing black bear on Burnaby MountainSome Burnaby residents are calling on conservation officers and filing a petition to leave the bears at Burnaby Mountain alone. This comes after a bear was captured on video stealing picnic items from visitors over the weekend. The Conservation Officer Service has set up a trap in the area since the incident. She said the real issue was a lack of green space and wildlife corridors allowing the bears to coexist.She also said more needed to be done to educate and punish people who take actions that put bears at risk, such as leaving food and garbage out.”It’s not the fault of the bear,” she said.Popjes said while there are multiple known bears in the area, only the one caught on video was being targeted because of its willingness to approach humans for food.WATCH | Conservation officer says bear cannot co-exist with people: Bear trap set at Burnaby Mountain Park after close call with park goers captured on videoConservation officers have set up traps to catch a black bear on Burnaby Mountain after it snuck up on park goers having a picnic on Aug. 31. As CBC’s Jon Hernandez reports, it’s not the first time this particular bear has been seen searching for people’s food. He said the incident is a reminder that it is up to people to do what they can to avoid attracting bears so they don’t become acclimatized to humans.Among his advice: remove bird feeders, clean up garbage and leave food in your car until you actually plan to eat it.”Don’t leave food unattended, that’s the biggest problem we have with people,” he said.
Black bear killed after being recorded stealing picnics in Burnaby, B.C.
