OPP warn public of recent bear sightings in Wellington County

Wellington County OPP are warning residents after several recent sightings of bears in the county.

OPP say the first of these occurrences took place on Sunday morning in the First Line and Erin-Garafraxa Townline area in the Town of Erin around 9 a.m.

Police responded after reports of a possible black bear in the area, and say they found evidence that suggests a bear wandered onto a property sometime overnight.

On Monday evening, around 8:30 p.m., provincial police once again responded to the reports of a bear sighting, this time in the Fourth Line and Halton-Erin Townline area, where a witness captured the images of a black bear feeding on a bird feeder.

The third of these sightings took place on Wednesday morning in the area of Wellington Road 124 at around 6:30 a.m., just south of Guelph Lake.

Police say they responded to the sighting area but the bear had fled the scene before their arrival.

Wellington County OPP and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry issued a list of tips on bear encounters.

Below are tips to reduce your chances of attracting bears, and what to do if you encounter a bear.

  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 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
• If you have a problem with a bear, call the Bear Wise line toll-free at 1-866-514-2327 for advice on how to avoid human-bear encounters during bear season (April 1 to Nov. 30).

 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.

Police say if a bear imposes an immediate threat to public safety by exhibiting threatening or aggressive behaviour, to contact 911 or the OPP at 1-888-310-1122.

For additional advice on reducing your chances of attracting bears, you can contact the Bear Wise reporting line toll-free at 1-866-514-2327 and you will be connected directly with a live operator during bear season (April 1 to Nov. 30).

You can also find additional information about what to do in emergency and non-emergency situations at ontario.ca/bearwise.