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Video: Chill and hungry bears cause Burnaby traffic jam

A family picnic stopped traffic in Burnaby – that's because it was a family of bears having a snack on the side of the road.
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A family of bears at Gaglardi Way and University Drive in Burnaby.

Sometimes nature is just too good to not stop and take a look.

That’s what happened on the weekend on Burnaby Mountain as I was walking home after a hike in the woods.

As I arrived at Gaglardi Way and University Drive, I spotted a traffic jam of vehicles, with more than 25 lined up or double-parked on the roadway.

At first, I couldn’t figure out what they were looking at.

And then I spotted them – a family of black bears just sitting up on a slope chilling and munching on grass. One bear was clearly the parent watching over the two younger bears. They didn’t really pay much attention to the humans holding out their phones just a few feet away.

People were losing their minds to be so close to the bears. I stopped for a minute and shot the video above.

It was a serene moment, but that’s life on Burnaby Mountain. It’s so quiet and so full of wildlife, from coyotes to deer to all the frogs who make a racket in the forest during the spring mating season.

I shouldn’t have to say this, but double-parking your vehicle on a busy road is actually a really bad idea so don’t do it.

Follow Chris Campbell on Twitter @shinebox44

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