VANCOUVER: A black bear that wandered into a pharmacy with her cub in Hope, British Columbia, has been euthanized by wildlife authorities. While the adult bear was put down due to safety concerns, her cub was captured and released back into a wilderness area.
The incident occurred on Sunday afternoon when the mother bear and her cub strolled into the Pharmasave store on Wallace Street through its automatic doors. The pair spent roughly eight minutes roaming the store’s aisles and perusing display shelves. Pharmacy staff acted quickly by evacuating customers and alerting emergency services. No injuries were reported, and no property damage occurred during the unexpected visit.
Conservation officers later located and tranquilized both bears in a nearby residential neighborhood. The B.C. Conservation Officer Service confirmed that the adult female was the same bear previously linked to conflict history in the area. Wildlife biologists concluded that because the mother bear had become habituated to humans and frequenting populated areas, she posed an ongoing public safety risk and could not be relocated.
Local wildlife advocates expressed sadness over the outcome, pointing out that natural food shortages in surrounding forests—exacerbated by summer wildfires and unfavorable weather that severely reduced wild berry yields—are driving bears into human settlements in search of food.
Advocates noted that bears require higher caloric intake as they prepare for winter hibernation, urging residents to secure attractants by locking up garbage, removing fallen fruit, and keeping pet food indoors to prevent similar human-wildlife conflicts.
