People in British Columbia are asking conservation officers to relocate the black bear who tapped the leg of a runner this weekend in Coquitlam rather than euthanizing it. 

On Saturday, a video circulated on social media showing a black bear approaching a woman and tapping her knee with its paw before jumping back. The woman stayed relatively still before slowly passing the bear and then running away.

A black bear approached a woman and took a swipe at her on a popular trail in Coquitlam 😱-📹 Sam Abdullah #Canada #Coquitlam #cangeo #CanadianWildlife pic.twitter.com/Q5AGACiUX2

— Freshdaily (@freshdaily) August 31, 2020

The encounter took place on the popular Coquitlam Crunch trail and conservation officer Murray Smith told CBC that the bear appeared to have little or no fear of the runner. 

"It wasn't like the bear was startled by the runner and reached out and contacted them. In this case, the runner stopped, and the bear approached the runner and then the bear hit the person's leg, so it's very concerning."

Smith went on to say that it's not good to have this bear in the community because it's losing its fear of humans. As a result, conservation officers are trying to trap the bear.

#BCCOS has closed the upper portion of the #Coquitlam Crunch trail after a runner was swatted on the leg by a black bear. The public is urged to be vigilant, take safety precautions and asked to report any bear sightings in the area to the #RAPP line. For tips, visit @wildsafebc pic.twitter.com/4PHPqnVdX1

— BC CO Service (@_BCCOS) August 30, 2020

Now, a Change.org petition has been started in hopes of convincing the officers to simply relocate the bear instead of putting it down. 

BC CO Service : Don't euthanize the black bear spotted on Coquitlam trail in BC - Sign the Petition! https://t.co/HoxMoPc5N8 via @CdnChange

— Kim Kenner (@kennerkim) August 31, 2020

Many have pointed out that the bear did not actually harm the woman. 

"We need to protect our wildlife. WE are in their areas, taking over their space/homes. This bear did not hurt the woman. This bear should be relocated along with her cubs if she has cubs," another person added. 

Others said that humans need to take better care in making sure we don't disrupt nature or take over the bear's space.

"I'm signing it because humans are the problem, not bears. We need to be and do better," one person commented. 

The bear is obviously saying "stop bothering me". It touches her lightly and then backs away, afraid. Please don't kill it. It can be tagged, tracked and encouraged to move to a different area.

— Marnie Dunsmore (@DunsmoreMarnie) August 31, 2020

Earlier this month, a black bear in B.C. named Huckleberry was sadly euthanized after eating from garbage and organics bins.