A young black bear caught some attention in a North Vancouver city neighbourhood on Saturday after deciding a backyard chicken coop made a nice pic-a-nic basket and helped himself to a meal of two hens.
Police and conservation officers were called out to a residential neighbourhood in the 300- and 400-block of East Second Street Saturday morning after the young bear estimated to be about 18 months old was spotted wandering the area, getting into garbage.
But he soon discovered something even better a chicken coop where he broke in and killed two of the hens.
He found the Kentucky Fried Chicken, said Corp. Richard De Jong, spokesman for the North Vancouver RCMP.
Police officers then chased the bear up a tree.
Conservation officer Jack Trudgian said the bear was too far up in the tree to tranquilize, so he opted to leave the animal there until it came down on its own, later in the day.
Trudgian said the backyard chicken coop wasnt strong enough. A proper chicken coop should be made with strong, thick wire, and metal poles buried in the ground, he said. Thats especially important in an area like North Vancouver where bear sightings are common, he said. They can smell any kind of food up to five kilometers away.
We would prefer that people not have chickens.
Trudgian said the homeowner in this case was handed a warning. Conservation officers can also fine homeowners whose attractants result in problem wildlife coming into residential neighbourhoods.
The newsworthy nosh by the bear comes just nine months after the City of North Vancouver voted to allow homeowners in single-family residential areas to keep backyard chickens.
Homeowners are allowed to keep up to eight chickens, but no roosters, and are supposed to make sure all chickens are kept in coops that are secure from predators. Homeowners dont have to go through any registration process before setting up their chicken coops.
Connie Rabold, spokeswoman for the city, said the municipality doesnt know how many chicken coops have been set up since they became legal. The best guess is 20 to 30, she said. At the time the city voted to allow backyard chickens last September, Coun. Don Bell voiced concerns about them attracting potential predators.
