UPDATE: Bear in Riverside Park up a tree

The Mounted Patrol have joined in the search for a young bear at Riverside Park Tuesday evening.

(JENNIFER STAHN / iNFOnews.ca)

September 03, 2013 - 3:19 PM

UPDATE: 6:42 p.m. Sept. 3, 2013.

KAMLOOPS - The bear seen earlier today at Riverside Park is moving east towards Pioneer Park, conservation officers say.

The entire Rivers Trail along the south side of the river is now open to the public though people are cautioned to keep an eye out for the young, agitated bear as it 'hunkers' down in the bush along the river.

"It's the reality of living where we live," one officer said Tuesday evening of having a bear wandering through the downtown area.

The bear is taking a natural escape route though and is still scared of people, the conservation officers said, and as a result will likely avoid contact with humans. Earlier in the day officers ensured the bear would stay scared of people by using rubber pellets that help the bear associate humans with pain.

People are also asked to remain vigilant in not leaving garbage out and to stay 'Bear Aware.'

To contact a reporter for this story, email jstahn@infotelnews.ca, call (250)819-3723 or tweet @JennStahn.

UPDATE: 4:13 p.m. Sept. 3, 2013

KAMLOOPS - Police and conservation officers are in Riverside Park to remove a bear that was spotted earlier today near the Interior Savings building.

The frightened bear made its way into the park at which time police worked fast to remove people from the area and conduct a search. They brought in a Gator which looks similar to a golf cart, to cover the terrain quickly. Non-lethal rubber bullets were fired earlier this afternoon.

Police have tagged the bear up to six times, and it's currently up a tree and frightened. Conservation officers say the animal is approximately one and half-years-old. They say they'll be barricading the area and the bridge. It's expected the bear will be out of the area by morning.

To contact a reporter for this story, email jstahn@infotelnews.ca, call (250)819-3723 or tweet @JennStahn.

(JENNIFER STAHN / iNFOnews.ca)

3:16 p.m. Sept. 3, 2013

KAMLOOPS - Police have guns drawn and are on the hunt for a bear near Overlander Bridge.

There are reports that non-lethal rubber bullets have been fired. Police continue to scour the park. A Gator has been brought in to help speed up the police search.

More to come.