Curtis Pirie encountered a surprising sight when he noticed a bear with a large stove pipe stuck on its head while fixing his loose bike chain in Oliver, B.C. Just an hour earlier, his wife had shown him a photo of the same bear on social media.
Pirie and a neighbor tried to help the bear by attempting to remove the pipe themselves, but their efforts failed, leading the bear to climb up a tree. His wife contacted the B.C. Conservation Officer Service, who arrived and tranquilized the bear to safely remove the pipe.
The bear had been causing concern in the community for around 10 days, with reports of it approaching vehicles and structures. Despite appearing thin, the bear was still in good health and was relocated back into the woods near Oliver after the pipe was removed.
Sgt. James Zucchelli emphasized the importance of keeping attractants away to prevent such incidents and urged the public to report any animals in distress to the conservation service.