Bear spotted on Airport Way attracts a crowd

Photo: Justin Sowerby

Bear sightings at this time of year are pretty common in the Okanagan, but this one looked like it was trying to catch a flight at YLW Thursday morning.

Justin Sowerby works near Kelowna International Airport and he tells Castanet that in his 4.5 years working in the area, he's never seen a bear.

"It hopped over a fence across the rail trail, crossed the road to the fence where I took my picture. Then it went right into the parking lot, which is where Skyline Helicopters and the airport RCMP division lives," Sowerby said.

The bear wandering along Airport Way, attracted quite a crowd, Sowerby says he saw close to 20 people trying to corral the bear and prevent it from entering any of the buildings and hangars in the area.

"Maybe they shot it with a tranquilizer, dart or whatever. When I saw them they were trying to just keep it away from the building," he said.

The bear managed to get between the RCMP office and the helicopter building, "there was a bunch of people out there yelling and trying to keep it away from the building."

Sowerby says there is no chance the bear could run out onto the runway because the entire area is surrounded by a fence, "it would have to hop over a 10 foot fence ."

Spring is a busy time for wildlife, especially bears, as they emerge from their winter dens hungry and looking for food after five months of not eating. During this time of increased activity, it is important for homeowners and hikers to secure un-natural food sources to reduce bear encounters.

Photo: Justin Sowerby