A BLACK BEAR caused a stir in Vancouver on Monday when it was discovered riding on the back of a rubbish truck in the city.

Emergency services sealed off the area after the alarm was raised on Monday afternoon and conservation officers were called to the scene to remove the bear.

The owner of the truck firm told the Globe and Mail that a passer-by had called out to the truck’s crew say a bear fell out of a bin as it was being tipped into the vehicle.

(Video via AssociatedPress)

Conservation officer Alex Desjardins told the Vancouver Courier that the male bear is between one and three years of age.

He said that after the bear was tranquilized and removed from the truck, he was taken to a salmon-rich area in the Squamish Valley to encourage him to fatten up before he is due to begin hibernating in a few weeks’ time.

Police said that while they had previously been alerted to skunks and coyotes in bins, a bear had never been reported before.

CBC’s report from the scene shows the bear being tranquilized and taken away from the scene:

(Video via CBCTheNational)