Mountain climbers and conservation officers gathered in a neighborhood near Nanaimo Regional Hospital on Saturday after a bear and two cubs were spotted in a densely populated area.

RCMP Nanaimo said on Twitter at about 3:15 pm. They were responding to the area near Moyse Crescent and Blythe Avenue. The police then warned: "Keep pets indoors until the situation is contained." Less than an hour later, Montes said the mother bear had calmed down and the cubs were captured.

The police said the trio will be relocated from their current location. Relocation is relatively uncommon for bears in British Columbia. While conservation officers killed more than 500 black bears in 2021, provincial statistics showed that only 19 bears were "relocated," although it was unclear whether this total included all bears.

The bear sighting on Saturday followed reports of two others in Nanaimo earlier this month.

City staff placed signs warning of bear activity in both parks and informed conservation officials of the situation.

Charlotte Davis, the city’s parks operations manager, said the bears were not described as aggressive. It is unclear whether the bears captured on Saturday are the same ones seen earlier in May.

Black bears are usually killed in British Columbia when they show signs of becoming habituated to unnatural food sources such as garbage or becoming accustomed to the presence of humans.