This paper presents the results of survey based research in to the perceptions and concerns of residents of two British Colunbia, Canada cities around the presence of urban bear populations.  The consensus of many researchers is that for larger mammals to survive in increasingly urbanized environments, intersections between urban and natural spaces become critical habitat.  However, that survival is also dependent upon human tolerance for large, potentially dangerous, animals in their front yards.  We surveyed residents in two cities on their attitudes towards bears and examined the responses in terms of tolerance of bears, factors that influenced actions that promote bear survival and a sense of how the presence of bears influences residents' views of their community's link to broader ecosystems.  We conclude that the presence of larger mammals presents challenges but offers an ongoing link between humans and nature that many participants valued.