An em-bear-assing encounter with one of Vancouver Island鈥檚 four-legged wild neighbours left a man with more than just the proverbial egg on his face 鈥� he got a pump of bear spray.

When Sooke resident Robb McCaghren set off for an evening walk with his 14-year-old son Devlin and their dog, their adventure was cut short when they discovered a black bear trapped inside their strata鈥檚 fenced waste disposal enclosure.

While the bear had been able to scale the 鈥渇ortress-like鈥� enclosure, it seemingly was unable to get back out, says McCaghren.

鈥淚t wasn't being aggressive, it was obviously panicked and really wanted to get out of there,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t looked like it had been trapped in there for a while 鈥� there were claw marks on the inside from where it was trying to get out.鈥� 

McCaghren decided he had to help.

Armed with a can of bear spray in case the bear decided to charge him, McCaghren鈥檚 plan was to kick open the sliding door to the enclosure and free the wild animal.

He also wanted to give the bear a fright, believing it to be the same bear which had rifled through the strata鈥檚 garbage the night before.

鈥淎 bear habituated to eating garbage is a dead bear, so I just wanted to scare it away,鈥� said McCaghren.

But his plan went awry. When McCaghren kicked the door open, the force sent him stumbling backwards.

鈥淚鈥檓 6鈥�10鈥�, so my centre of gravity is quite high,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 ended up running backwards at full speed for about 10 feet before I went down.鈥�

When he landed, the can of bear spray fired for 鈥渓ess than a second,鈥� but it was enough to cause McCaghren some pain and discomfort. Standing downwind, his teenage son also copped a mouthful of the potent irritant.

鈥淲e were both sputtering and coughing,鈥� said McCaghren.

The commotion had also attracted an audience of McCaghren鈥檚 new neighbours 鈥� he and his family moved to Sooke from Naniamo in late November.

This was the family's first bear encounter. 

鈥淚 was thoroughly embarrassed that all of my neighbours had just watched me fall on my arse,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut they all had a good chuckle at my expense.鈥�

As for the bear, McCaghren says the animal left the way it had arrived, back over the fence.

鈥淚t ended up being so spooked by the door flying open that it catapulted over the fence on the inside and disappeared,鈥� he said.

And so far, the bear has not returned.

鈥淚 think he was so embarrassed by what he witnessed that he isn't willing to come back again, it did the job, he hasn't been in the garbage again,鈥� McCaghren said.

The strata has also expedited plans to provide bear-proof metal bins, to ensure all attractants are secured.

By the next day, McCraghren had recovered from the effects of the bear spray, however, his bruised ego, not so much.

But he hopes the tale will bring some light relief to people鈥檚 days.

鈥淚 was a street kid for years,鈥� he says. 鈥淎nd my wife and I have been together for 16 years, and the only reason that we've survived this long is because we find humour in the worst situations. 

鈥淚f you can laugh at yourself, then nothing's gonna bother you.鈥�