Acting Fast
She grabbed whatever tools she could find and unlocked the doors she just desperately locked and stepped out. Her palms were sweating, her heart racing.
It was too late, the bear had already set its sight on Lyle. He was completely oblivious. Within a moment’s notice, the bear was suddenly at his feet. She had no choice. She had to act now.
Work From Home Mom
Jordan Manson loved working from home. With a 10-month-old baby and a job that allowed her to be a stay-at-home mother, she felt incredibly lucky to be able to be at home all the time.
Jordan’s boyfriend, Lyle, also worked from home and spent most of his time with Jordan while he worked on various business projects. They enjoyed a peaceful life until this one fateful day.
Record-Breaking Weather
It was another crystal clear blue-sky day on the west coast of Canada. The sun was beaming over Metro, Vancouver with heat that was hitting record high temperatures for June.
Jordan turned the A.C on high as Lyle lay out in the soaring temperature only to cool down in the pool and repeat the process again and again. He loved the pool. But he wasn’t the only one.
All Seemed Perfect
Jordan ran out to Lyle with a baseball bat in one hand and a frying pan in the other. She screamed at him hysterically as hit the two items together, creating as much noise as she could.
It was lunchtime when Jordan got up from her desk to check on her baby who was napping soundly in the nursery.
Unexpected Surprise
Returning to the kitchen, she made herself some food. Bringing some vegetables over to the sink, she ran the tap and noticed how hot the cold water felt.
She was so lost in thought that it took her a moment to register what was happening in the window right in front of her. Something was in the pool. At first, she just thought it was her boyfriend but at second glance, her heart pounded with horror.
Bears!
Bears were in her yard! She dropped the vegetables and froze with terror. She looked for her boyfriend who appeared to be nowhere in sight. Maybe he had already managed to run off?
She ran to the front and back doors and locked them shut before continuing to look for Lyle. Maybe he came in and she didn’t notice. She gently called out for him but there was no response. Then, her heart sank with a stark realization.
M.I.A
Peering out a different window, she saw the top of her boyfriend's head. He was lying still on the sun lounge chair. What was he doing? She wanted to shout at him but she didn’t want to aggravate the bears.
What was he doing? Was he purposefully staying still, asleep or worse? Her mind raced as she tried to figure out what to do.
Finding Courage
It was obvious Lyle needed help. She needed to go outside to see if he was okay. She ran to her closet and grabbed a baseball bat, then she took out a big frying pan from the kitchen cabinet and unlocked the door.
She had to go outside no matter how terrified she was. After all, her boyfriend's life depended on it.
Bear Day Out
There were three bears in total. A big mama bear with two of her cubs. The cubs were smaller but still bigger than your average-sized dog. One bear cub was cooling down in the pool as the other was mustering up the courage to jump in and join.
The mama bear was circling the edge of the pool. Occasionally, dunking its head in the water. Suddenly, it set its sight on Lyle.
Too Close For Comfort
The bear took a sudden interest in Lyle and made a beeline straight for his foot. Before Jordan realized what was happening the bear went right up to Lyle, sniffed his foot, and then lifted up his sharp claw and nudged his foot.
Without thinking Jordan ran out, banging the bat against the pan while she was screaming for Jordan.
Jolted Awake
The deafening abrupt noise didn’t only startle the bears, but it also jolted Lyle awake. He woke to a huge bear right beside him and sprang to a seated position.
The bear got a fright again with Jordan’s sudden alertness. But Jordan wasn’t finished yet. She knew that if those cubs didn’t get out of the water soon, this bear wasn’t leaving and instead, would turn aggressive.
Quick Thinking
She tossed the bat to Lyle and reached for the long net pole for the pool. There was one cub still struggling to hoist itself out of the pool so Jordan positioned the net under it and helped the cub pull himself up from underneath.
The mama bear was now right beside them and quickly led them to climb over the fence and away from the couple. But where were they going?
Mundy Park
Jordan and Lyle lived near Mundy Park in Coquitlam. The park is home to many wildlife including these bears. However, Jordan and Lyle had never seen one before - and especially up this close!
The record-breaking 37 degrees must have made the bears desperate for water to cool down. But did they handle the situation well?
Lucky Escape
Although they were incredibly lucky to escape this situation unscathed, it’s important to remember that bears are actually very dangerous animals who need to be kept at a safe distance.
It was probably lucky that Lyle was asleep and that the bears viewed him as not a threat. But when they looked back at the CCTV camera at their house, they were astonished at what they found.
Be Careful Out There!
The bears had been playing around the water for nearly an hour before Jordan was exposed to the situation. Lyle could truly sleep through anything! He insisted it was the heat that had him sleeping so soundly.
Either way, this story just shows, you can never be too careful when you live next to a wildlife habitat!