In Oliver, B.C., Curtis Pirie had a surprising encounter when he spotted a bear with a stove pipe stuck on its head while dealing with his bike chain issue. His wife had shown him a photo of the bear on social media just an hour before. Initially taken aback by the sight, Pirie recognized it as the bear his wife had mentioned.
Attempting to help the distressed animal, Pirie and his neighbor tried to remove the pipe from the bear’s head but were unsuccessful. The bear climbed a tree when approached, leading to a call to the B.C. Conservation Officer Service. After tranquilizing the bear, it remained stuck in the tree until prodded to descend with a pole.
The conservation officers successfully removed the pipe, which had been on the bear’s head for about 10 days, causing concern about its ability to eat during that time. Despite appearing thin, the bear was found to be in decent health and was relocated back to the woods near Oliver. Sgt. James Zucchelli emphasized the importance of reporting animals in distress and keeping potential attractants away to prevent such incidents.