A Sooke woman and her kids were treated to a special sight after spending the day at the Sooke Potholes on Sunday.
On their way home, they spotted a mama black bear and her cubs on Sooke River Road.
“We saw the mama bear run across the road so we stopped to have a look and didn’t event notice the cubs at first,” said Roslyn Vanderleest.
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Vanderleest, who was in her car with her kids, filmed the encounter. In the video, a bear cub can be seen scurrying up a tree while the mother peers around the tree trunk. The mother bear then crosses the road as a pair of bear cubs follow.
Vanderleest can be heard saying “It’s so cute” in the video while her 10-year-old son excitedly says “It’s a mama bear and her cubs.”
Vanderleest said she does not live far from the Sooke River, so bears are a common sight in her yard. However, she said she has never seen cubs that small before.
READ ALSO: On the trail of black bears
“We were super lucky to see them,” Vanderleest said. “We were just in the right place at the right time.”
In a recent Facebook post, Wild Wise Sooke said bear hot spots in the area are Galena Road, Otter Point Road in the 3000 block, and Sooke River Road.
“Neighbours in these areas are asked to be extra vigilant and are reminded to properly secure their garbage, livestock and other attractants,” the post reads.
Black bears on the Island are active from about April to November. B.C. boasts one of the highest populations of black bears in the world with somewhere between 120,000 and 150,000 of them, according to Wild Safe BC.
