Whistler RCMP officers chased away a bear that ripped into a tent at Riverside Campground on the weekend.

RCMP Sgt. Shawn LeMay said Conservation Officer Dave Jevons was dealing with an unrelated situation in Creekside when he phoned police on Saturday (Aug. 14) at around 8 p.m. to ask for assistance in dealing with the Riverside situation.

Police attended and found that the bear had ripped into a tent and was eating food it found inside, LeMay said. He didn’t know whether anyone was inside at the time of the incident.

Officers tried to tranquilize the bear but “couldn’t get a safe tranquilizer shot off,” LeMay said. Instead, they pursued the animal until it disappeared into the bush headed in the direction of the industrial park at Mons, he said.