Be Bear Wise As Spring Arrives

With the spring weather finally here, bears are coming out of hibernation. The potential for human-bear interactions increases in the spring when there are less natural food sources available to them. This is when food sources, such as garbage and bird feed, can draw bears into populated areas.

Here are a few things you can do to help reduce the chance of attracting bears:

•    Ensure garbage is stored in waste containers with tight-fitting lids;
•    Put out garbage, recycling and green carts only on the morning of your waste pickup day;
•    Put away winter bird feeders, seed and suet;
•    Clean outdoor barbeque grills after each use, including the grease trap.

Spring is a good time to share Bear Wise tips with your family and friends and have conversations with neighbours about how you can work together to prevent bear conflicts in your neighbourhood. 
If you do happen to see a bear wandering, you can report a sighting by visiting the City’s Report-a-Bear map at www.greatersudbury.ca/bears,   by emailing bear@greatersudbury.ca or by calling 705-674-4455, extension BEAR (2327) and leaving a detailed message.

If a bear is posing an immediate threat to personal or public safety, call 911. For Bear Wise tips and reporting, contact the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry at 1-866-514-2327 or visit their website at http://www.ontario.ca/environment-and-energy/report-bear-problem-bear-wise. 

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