OPP alerts residents after recent bear sightings

Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) has issued a warning after residents reported several black bear sightings.

Police say someone captured an image of a bear in the area of Fourth Line and Halton-Erin Townline around 8:30 p.m. Monday.

Homeowners in the area also found evidence to suggest a bear was wandering on some of the properties throughout the night.

Wellington County OPP received a report of a black bear in the area of Wellington Rd. 124, just south of Guelph Lake early Wednesday morning. Police say the bear had left before officers arrived on scene.

A resident of Erin #WellingtonOPP shared this video of the black bear on his property on May27th. Find tips to Prevent & report bear encounters #BeBearWise https://t.co/mVom5WQDaM or 1-866-514-2327 ^km pic.twitter.com/UAzt3VsctZ

— OPP West (@OPP_WR) May 30, 2019

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry has provided the following tips to reduce your chances of attracting bears, and what to do if you encounter a bear;

If a bear approaches you:

• Slowly back away, watching the bear
• If the bear tries to approach you, do not turn and run – make noise, throw rocks or sticks and make yourself appear as big as possible
• Carry a noise-making device such as a whistle or air horn, and use it if necessary
• If the bear continues to approach you, keep backing away slowly while acting aggressively towards the bear
• If you are carrying bear repellent, make sure you are familiar with the product and how it is used, using it only if the bear is attacking you or is extremely close to you
• Bear attacks are rare, however, if a bear does attack, do not play dead unless you are sure it is a mother bear attacking you in defence of cubs
• Fighting back is the best chance of persuading a bear to stop its attack, so use a large stick, a rock, or anything else that you can to deter the bear.

If you encounter a bear:

• If your personal safety is at risk, call 911 or your local police
• Remain calm – often the bear is just passing through, and will move on if no food source is found
• If a bear is in a tree, leave it alone and remove other people and dogs from the area
• Keep away from the bear, and do not block its exit
• Tell others of its location and warn them to keep away, and bring children and pets indoors
• If near a building or car, get inside as a precaution
• If the bear was attracted to food or garbage, remove these items after the bear leaves to discourage the bear from returning
• Keep dogs on leash and away from bears

Reduce the chances of attracting bears by:

• Storing garbage in bear-resistant, airtight containers inside a storage area that is not accessible to bears
• Washing garbage containers and dumpsters frequently using a strong disinfectant to reduce odours
• Putting out garbage on the morning of garbage collection – not the night before
• Keeping pet food indoors
• Removing grease and food residue from barbecue grills, including the grease trap, after each use
• Putting away bird feeders until the winter months
• Turning compost regularly and keeping meat, fish or sweet foods like fruit out of your composter
• Keeping meat and fish scraps in the freezer until garbage collection day
• Picking fruits and berries from trees as they ripen and from the ground

If you have a problem with a bear, you can call the Bear Wise line at 1-866-514-2327 for advice on how to avoid human-bear encounters during bear season.