Black bear found wandering urban Vancouver is tranquilized and released

Police in Vancouver say a black bear was tranquilized, "slept it off, and was released without charges" after it was seen wandering around the city at night. 

They say in a post to social media that officers responded to reports about the bear wandering around Commercial Drive and Grandview Highway in East Vancouver on Tuesday, then tracked it down around 1 a.m.

The post on Thursday included a photo of an unconscious bear as well as a video shot from inside a patrol car showing the animal trotting down a city sidewalk, then jumping over a small step beside a building.

Police say the Emergency Response Team helped when the bear appeared to be getting close to people, and the BC Conservation Officer Service was called in to tranquilize the animal.

The conservation officer service says in a separate statement that there were no reports of aggression or conflict with the bear and it was released into its new habitat in an undisclosed location "far outside the city."

While black bears are frequent visitors to Metro Vancouver‘s outer municipalities, they are much rarer in Vancouver itself.

The conservation service says officers believe the bear may have wandered into the urban setting while attempting to follow a greenbelt area. 

"While it is not a regular occurrence, wildlife have wandered far into the city in the past," the statement said.

"In 2011, a black bear was safely relocated from Gastown," the service said of the neighbourhood near the city's downtown core. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 15, 2026.

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