Conservation officers in B.C. remove metal stove pipe stuck on bear's head

An adult black bear is shown in an Ontario field in this undated image. (File photo/Supplied/Ministry of Nature Resources)

A young bear in British Columbia’s Okanagan had to endure several days with a stove pipe stuck over its head before conservation officers were able to remove it.

The Conservation Officer Service of B.C. says residents in the area near Oliver first reported the problem about two weeks ago, saying they spotted a bear with what appears to be a long metal pipe protruding several feet off its snout.

The service says officers made several attempts to tranquilize the wily bear until they were successful on Saturday.

Sgt. James Zucchelli with the service based in nearby Penticton says the bear did not suffer any injuries, and was tagged and released outside Oliver once the pipe was removed.

Zucchelli says while the animal was mobile enough to evade officers several times and climb up trees, they wanted to remove the pipe as quickly as possible because it was stopping the bear from feeding.

He adds that residents need to try to reduce attractants on their properties that could draw bears in order to avoid conflict that could harm both sides.

“This is a great news story because we were able to remove this pipe from this bear’s head and take it off to the wilds because it didn’t have a conflict history,” Zucchelli says.

“That is not always the case when people are calling the Conservation Officer Service.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 12, 2026.