Coquitlam park entrance closed to keep people away from bears
Posted July 3, 2019 11:18 am.
Last Updated July 3, 2019 11:20 am.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Concern over people getting too close to bears has prompted Metro Vancouver to close one entrance to cars at a Coquitlam park, and that closure will extend through the rest of summer.
The situation at the Oliver Road entrance to Minnekhada Regional Park has become perilous. People are stopping to take pictures of the bears, getting too close to the animals as they feed on nearby blueberries and causing a traffic jam in the area, explains Markus Merkens with Metro Vancouver.
“People put themselves in too close proximity to bears,” he says. “Our intent is to keep both people and bears safe in the park. If bears become habituated to people’s close proximity, they may put themselves in situations where the bears would be seen as hazards.”
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He says people are putting both the bears and themselves in danger.
“Human interaction with bears is not very appropriate. Our message is that you should stay at least 100 metres away from a bear. If you encounter a bear when you’re in a regional park, you should back away from it and turn around if it’s on the trail that you’re on and go the other way.”
If you do want to take a picture of a bear, Merkens says give them their space.
“Approaching bears to take pictures is a big issue. If you want to take pictures of bears, use a long lens, keep your distance and that’s the only thing you can do.”
