Bear killed in Port Coquitlam's Gates Park

Conservation officers killed a black bear in Port Coquitlam, B.C., on Friday morning, after it was shot and wounded by an officer it charged on Thursday evening.

Around 6:40 a.m. PT Friday several shots were fired by officers in the woods. Officers later confirmed the bear had been killed.

The adult bear was first spotted in Gates Park around 6:00 p.m. PT Thursday as it made its way across the Coquitlam River and into a townhouse complex on Gately Ave.

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Conservation and RCMP officers arrived into the area and as they were attempting to locate the bear, it charged a conservation officer who was then forced to shoot it with a handgun.

The wounded bear then fled into the greenbelt and the search was then called off until daylight because it was too dangerous to continue.

Officers with shotguns continued to patrol the park area overnight because of concerns about the bear's aggressive behaviour.

There is some speculation the bear may be the same one spotted in Lions Park earlier in the week. There were also reports it may have charged several other people in the area on Thursday.

Conservation officers blamed food left by park users and illegal campers for attracting the bear to the busy suburban park.

A tracking dog involved in the search was apparently spooked by the bear and ran out into traffic and narrowly escaped getting hit by a vehicle. The dog is doing fine, said officers.

Google Maps: Gates Park, Port Coquitlam