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95-year-old B.C. resident shoos bear out of her kitchen - twice!

Juvenile black bear no match for spry senior
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Anna Stady shows the sugar bin that the bear knocked over in her kitchen Friday afternoon. Photo by Terry Farrell

Anna Stady loves to bake.

ā€œI still rule my kitchen,ā€ said the 95-year-old, who does not take kindly to strangers rummaging through it – be they of the two-legged, or four-legged variety.

So when she came across a juvenile bear in the kitchen of her Union Bay home on Friday afternoon, she let it know it didn’t belong there.

ā€œIt was just after lunch,ā€ she said. ā€œI came in from the dining room and there he was. I said ā€˜what are you doing here? Get out of here.’ I didn’t push him, but I just sort of walked towards him and away he went.ā€

The bear went into the middle of her yard, and after more coaxing from Stady, the bear left the property.

ā€œI thought that was the end of that, so I went back into the house to watch television, and not too long after that I heard a racket in the kitchen,ā€ said Stady. ā€œSure enough, he’d come back. He’d pulled out the sugar bin and there was sugar all over the floor. He made a real mess.

ā€œWell, now I was really cross with him, and I told him so. I said ā€˜I’m really angry with you. Go home and don’t come back.’ I guess he believed me, because as far as I know, he hasn’t been back.ā€

Stady said she has lived in the house for 50 years but this was the first time she’s ever had a bear on her property, much less in her house.

ā€œSomeone told me there are bears in the area but I don’t recall ever seeing one before,ā€ she said. ā€œThen again, I don’t get out much. I’m 95 and I’m lazy.ā€

She added she was never frightened during the ordeal.

ā€œI never really thought about being frightened,ā€ said Stady. ā€œHe was a beautiful bear. Black, shiny and really quite handsome.

ā€œThe bear and I got along just fine. I guess he knew he should just be a good kid and do as he’s told.ā€

Conservation officers brought a bear trap out to the Stady residence Friday night, but the animal has not returned.

ā€œThere’s a nice container of honey in there for him but maybe he doesn’t like honey,ā€ Stady said with a laugh.



terry.farrell@blackpress.ca

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Anna Stady now has a bear trap in her front yard, after a bear entered her Union Bay home. Photo by Terry Farrell


Terry Farrell

About the Author: Terry Farrell

Terry returned to Black Press in 2014, after seven years at a daily publication in Alberta. He brings 24 years of editorial experience to Comox Valley Record...
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