Bears take a dip in pool
There has been significant bear activity in Castlegar this summer and one resident has been seeing that increase up close and personal.
Sam Ruiz, who lives on Columbia Avenue in downtown Castlegar, captured footage of a large black bear jumping into his backyard pool last Thursday morning.
Then again on Saturday, a momma bear and her two cubs showed up for a pool date just after noon.
The surveillance video shows the momma bear scoping out the area first, before her two cubs arrive and figure out how to get into the pool.
The pair climb up the side of the pool, with one easing into the water, while the other jumps in with a splash. The pair then swim around for a bit, splashing with each other a couple times, before crawling back out and shaking off.
Ruiz said the bears have been good guests, leaving no damage.
“Surprisingly, they’re quite gentle. No claw marks, no tears, no nothing. They just want to get in there and play, just get a soak and get out,” he said.
But Ruiz said he’s since drained the pool and has plans to put up an electric fence around the yard, to discourage any future confrontations.
Earlier this month, the City of Castlegar and WildsafeBC announced that they’ve been seeing a lot of bear activity in the city this summer. Ruiz said he and his neighbours have definitely noticed the uptick.
“Usually right after they come out of hibernation, they go up into the hills and come back in September,” he said.
“But this year, there’s been not as much food up there, so they’ve been staying down here all summer. More bear activity here than usual.”
WildsafeBC encourages all residents who live near bears to manage the attractants in their yards, such as garbage, organics, ripe fruit, pet food, birdseed and compost, to avoid conflicts.