Wildlife officers warn of polar bear on Newfoundland’s Northern Peninsula

Wildlife officials are warning residents in a remote corner of western Newfoundland to watch for a polar bear that has come ashore.

The bear was last seen on Green Island, about one kilometre from the town of Cook’s Harbour on the Northern Peninsula.

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Polar bear sightings along the northern coast of Newfoundland typically increase in the spring as the big carnivores follow seals heading south on ice floes to give birth to their pups.

Conservation officers are monitoring the animal’s movements.

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They’ve asked people living in the area to avoid encountering the bear, or attracting one into a community.

There’s an advisory suggesting people in the area travel in groups, keep pets under supervision, and properly dispose of garbage.