B.C. couple evict black bear after it attempts to den under their home

A Vancouver Island couple say they were shocked to learn that a black bearset up aden underneath their home.

Crystal Weaver and her family live on a Duncan, B.C., property near a river thatshe calls a wildlife corridor.

For the last two weeks, her dog had been "absolutely neurotic," barking and running around the yard, she said.On Dec. 28, they heard some noise coming from under the house.

"We thought maybe some raccoons were having a bit of a party down there," Weaver said.

The next morning, her husband went under the deck to investigateandcame face to face with a black bear.

"I've never seen him move so fast," said Weaver, adding that her husband jumped back and quickly scurried out from under the home.

In a reversal ofthe Goldilocksfairy tale, the black bear foundthe Weavers' home was just right fornapping through the winter, pushing itself to the back of the crawlspace, directly beneath theirbedroom.

WATCH | Family discovers black bear under their home:

B.C. homeowners discover bear living under their home

9 months ago

Duration 0:33

Homeowners in Duncan on Vancouver Island were surprised to discover a bear had made itself a den beneath their home.

Video blows up on TikTok

Weaver contacted the B.C. Conservation Officer Service and an officerscared the bear offthe property.

She shared a video of the bear under her home on her TikTok account and was surprisedwhen it went viral, amassing more than 4.2 million views as of Tuesday.

"It's weird," said Weaver of theresponse.

"I just thought it was kind of cool and wanted to share it with the 50 people who follow me."

Biologist says it could indicate a lack of dens

While rare, there have beenrecorded cases of bears denning under homes, says Helen Davis, a wildlife biologist with Artemis Wildlife Consultants, which is. based in Duncan, B.C.

"It's unfortunate that it hasn't found a natural cavity to den in this winter," Davis said.

She says black bears hibernate through the winterwhen food sources are scarce, andseek out natural cavities to stay safe, warm, and dry.

Davis says male bears will den for about four months, while female bears will den for up to sixmonths, during which time they will givebirth to cubsand raise them.

She says bears often den in hollowold-growth trees.

It's hard tosay definitively whether there is a lack of habitat on Vancouver Island, she says, butold growth is sparse on southern Vancouver Island due to logging.

"It's possible that there are a lack of dens, certainly on Vancouver Island," she said.

Who to call if a bear moves in

Davis says it's important not to feed bears, as they can become habituated to humans, which couldresult in the animal posinga risk to peopleand being euthanized. She reminds people to keep their distance frombears.

Meanwhile, the B.C. Conservation Officer Service says homeowners can avoid bears taking up residence under their homes by ensuring there are no access points and all skirting is secure.

If a bear does try to sleep through the winter, rent-free, under a home, homeowners are asked to contact the service'shuman-wildlife conflicts hotline.

"Bears can cause damage under homes such as pushing on gas/water pipes, chewing on joists, and dragging garbage under houses which in turns attracts other pests," the service said in a statement.

Davis, on the other hand, says the bear would be a welcomed guest.

"It would be my life highlight if I had one under my deck, but I know not everyone is as pleased with the idea," she said with a laugh.