Saanich Police received two separate reports of bear sightings Friday.
A release from Saanich Police states the first bear was reported to be in the 200 block of Meadowsbrook Road at 8:30 p.m. Although the bear was not seen, the reporting resident stated that he had walked from his house to his garage unaware of any bear presence. Approximately 40 minutes later the resident left his garage and when returning to his house, he immediately noticed that there was fresh bear tracks left over top of his previous footprints in the new snow. This resident reported that he observed a bear to be frequenting the area numerous times in the last few weeks.
The second bear sighting was in the 4500 block of Stratford Road at 9:30 p.m. The home owners entered their acreage property by car. When they arrived beside their house they saw the bear, which then fled north toward Viaduct Avenue. This bear was also reported to be in the area and has been seen before by the reporting Saanich resident.
It is unknown at this time if this is the same bear. Both occurrences have been reported to the BC Conservation Office for follow up. Saanich Residents are encouraged to report any sightings within the Saanich municipality to ensure the public’s safety.