An unknown driver on his way up Mountainview Drive on Sunday evening is being lauded as a hero.

The man diverted a bear away from the two young cyclists it was chasing, says a woman who was driving behind the pickup truck.

Janet Sanders said in an interview this morning she was headed up Mountainview Drive, between Range Road and 12th Avenue, at around 9:30 or 10:00 when she saw the bear in hot pursuit of the teenaged cyclists.

The driver of the pickup truck in front of her steered toward the bear, putting his truck across the highway.

Then, he and Sanders laid on their horns to scare the animal off into the ditch, saving the girls who were on their bikes.

"He's a hero,” Sanders said.

While she didn't get his name, she said he deserves recognition for getting the bear away from the cyclists.

The driver also put the bikes in the back of his truck and gave the girls a ride home.

Sanders contacted Environment Yukon shortly after the incident, and conservation officers set a bear trap in the area.

After checking the trap and finding no bear this morning, the department issued an advisory that there is a bear in the Porter Creek area which could pose a threat to people.

Conservation officer Kris Gustafson, the manager of enforcement and compliance, said it's rare that a bear would get so close to people, in this case almost on the back tires of the bikes.

He's hoping the cyclists and the driver of the pickup truck will contact Environment Yukon so officials can get a clearer picture of what happened.

"I don't know how much you can prepare for that,” Gustafson said.

While it's no secret bears are attracted to roadway corridors for the food sources growing nearby, he noted, they normally don't come out of the ditches chasing cyclists like this one did.

There are cases where a bear has been known to frequent certain areas, and cyclists avoid them by detouring around the area.

Environment Yukon is also reporting there are at least two bears foraging in the clay cliffs area between the Two Mile Hill and the Erik Nielsen Whitehorse International Airport.

Gustafson said the area is plentiful in soapberries and other vegetation the bears are eating.

Trail users around the city are encouraged to carry bear spray with them at all times and keep in mind that bears are looking for food "from any source.”

Those with homes backing onto greenbelts are also cautioned to keep the amount of attractants in their yard to a minimum.

As it's noted in a document published by Environment Yukon, actions such as covering barbecues, keeping garbage and compost sealed tightly, cleaning meat sheds once the meat is done drying and feeding pets indoors can all help in keeping bears away from residential homes.

A total of 13 bears in and around Whitehorse have been relocated so far this season, Gustafson said.

They have been moved from a number of areas of the city and just outside city limits, he added.

Bear safety information is also available at www.env.gov.yk.ca