Skip to content

Bear and cubs seen near South Canoe School

Resident scares off sow and two cubs at end of her driveway
17044701_web1_190522-SAA-Hillcrest-bear
A bear was sighted on the Hillcrest Elementary grounds after school was out on May 22. (Nikki Leyenhorst/Facebook)

A sow with two cubs was spotted near the South Canoe School on Tuesday, May 28.

South Canoe resident Kayla Vannieuwenhuizen saw the bears at approximately 11:40 a.m.

“I picked up my mail and I turned around to drive home and they were just hanging out at the end of my driveway,” she said, “I laid on my horn and they just kind of sat there. The two cubs got up on their back legs and just stared at me.”

Read more: Multiple black bear sightings in residential area near Okanagan elementary

Read more: Residents warn of bear in Central Okanagan

Vannieuwenhuizen said she managed to scare the bears off by using an airhorn and she called the school to let them know the bears didn’t scare away easily

This is not the first time Vannieuwenhuizen has dealt with bears in the area.

“We’ve had a bear problem this year,” she said. “We’ve had two bear-proof garbage cans destroyed already.”

Read more: Is that Yogi Bear? Couple leaves picnic on B.C. beach as uninvited bear moves in

Read more: UPDATE: Residents asked to manage attractants after bear sighting at school

Aware of previous bear sightings near other elementary schools, she believes the location of the school has a role to play in the bears’ fearlessness.

“Out here in South Canoe we are just rural enough that they’re not as scared as somewhere like Hillcrest.”

The bears were last seen going up 10th Avenue.


@CameronJHT
Cameron.thomson@saobserver.net

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

17044701_web1_copy_190531-SAA-south-canoe-school