B.C. couple evict black bear after it attempts to den under their home
Biologist says it's uncommon, but there are recorded cases of bears denning below homes
A Vancouver Island couple say they were shocked to learn that a black bear set up a den underneath their home.
Crystal Weaver and her family live on a Duncan, B.C., property near a river that she 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 investigate and came 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 of the Goldilocks fairy tale, the black bear found the Weavers' home was just right for napping through the winter, pushing itself to the back of the crawlspace, directly beneath their bedroom.
Video blows up on TikTok
Weaver contacted the B.C. Conservation Officer Service and an officer scared the bear off the property.
She shared a video of the bear under her home on her TikTok account and was surprised when it went viral, amassing more than 4.2 million views as of Tuesday.
"It's weird," said Weaver of the response.
"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 been recorded 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 winter when food sources are scarce, and seek 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 six months, during which time they will give birth to cubs and raise them.
She says bears often den in hollow old-growth trees.
It's hard to say definitively whether there is a lack of habitat on Vancouver Island, she says, but old 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 could result in the animal posing a risk to people and being euthanized. She reminds people to keep their distance from bears.
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's human-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.
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