Be Bear Wise This Spring

Spring has finally arrived and so have the bears. The potential for human-bear interactions increases in the spring when there are fewer 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 some tips to help reduce the chance of attracting bears on your property:

• Put away winter bird feeders, seed and suet before spring arrives.
• Clean outdoor barbeque grills after each use, including the grease trap.
• Do not leave pet food outdoors or in screened-in areas or porches.
• Keep dogs leashed when walking through communities or in bear country to reduce the potential for an unwanted interaction with a bear.  
• Ensure garbage is stored in waste containers with tight-fitting lids.
• Wash your garbage, recycling and organic containers and lids often with a strong-smelling disinfectant to reduce odours that appeal to wildlife.
• Put out garbage, recycling, and green carts by 7 a.m. on the morning of your waste pickup day, not the night before.
• Download and set reminders on the Waste Wise app to remind you when to put out your waste. Blue Box recyclables and Green Cart organics are collected on a weekly basis.

The City continues to offer a Report-A-Bear website, a peer-to-peer online mapping tool that allows residents to share information about bear sightings within the community. Residents are invited to log on to www.greatersudbury.ca/bears to provide details of bear sightings including date, time, location, number, and other details. Bear sightings may also be noted by emailing bear@greatersudbury.ca or by calling 705-674-4455, extension 2327 (BEAR) and leaving a detailed message.

Not every bear sighting is an emergency situation but if a bear poses an immediate threat to personal or public safety by exhibiting threatening or aggressive behaviour, call 911.

For more tips on preventing bear encounters visit www.ontario.ca/bearwise.