Man Catches Bear on ‘Garbage Duty’ Pushing Dumpster at Dawn

A young black bear in Mission, British Columbia, gave an early riser quite a surprise when he was spotted rolling a dumpster down the street—like he was clocking in for a shift on garbage duty.

DJ (@deejay1321 on TikTok) stepped outside around 5 a.m. when he saw the unusual sight. The bear was standing on its hind legs, expertly pushing the bin like it was part of his morning routine.

DJ recorded the funny scene and posted it with the caption: “Some early morning garbage duty.” You can watch the video below:

@damondaigneault Some early morning garbage duty #bearcountry #canipetthatdog #bears #garbage ♬ original sound – Headbangers Dan

In the background, DJ can be heard gently calling out to the bear: “Hey, that’s not your can,” and “Go home, that’s not yours.” But the bear, clearly on a mission, doesn’t listen. He tries climbing onto the bin, even manages to flip open the lid—but he’s too short to get inside.

As funny and adorable as the moment is, it’s a reminder of a more serious issue. Bears who get used to human garbage often end up labeled as dangerous, and sadly, many are euthanized, just like one recently in Yellowstone National Park.

The video has gotten over 800,000 views. One viewer joked, “UBEAR Eats delivery.” Another pointed out, “No [car] insurance company would believe a single second of that story unless this fellow hadn’t caught it on video.”

Another noted: “Everyone else in the world when bear: [scared emoji] Canadians: ‘hey bud!'” DJ responded with “This is the best comment.”

Black bears are a common sight around Metro Vancouver, and wildlife officials urge homeowners to secure their bins. provincial government and local wildlife conservation groups have “Bear Safe” educational programs to help minimize encounters like this one and keep both people and bears out of trouble.