London police are issuing a public warning after a black bear was found in a tree off Commissioners Road West on Monday morning.
According to police, officers initially received reports that a bear was spotted around 7 a.m. in the area of Oxford Street West, near the bridge west of Sanatorium Road.
Officers responded to the area but were unable to locate any bear. Roughly two hours later, at around 9:30 a.m., police issued an update confirming the bear had been found in a tree off the 1300 block of Commissioners Road West.
Police say a large crowd gathered in the area, and an officer shot and wounded the bear when it began to climb down at roughly 11:10 a.m.
The bear then climbed back up the tree, and police say its injury was “said to appear superficial.” A team from the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) arrived about 10 minutes after the bear was shot, police say.
At around 9 p.m., police say the MNR team and a veterinarian were able to tranquilize the bear, which climbed down the tree before the sedative took effect. The bear received stitches for “minor injuries to a rear hind leg,” police added.
According to police, the bear was taken to an MNR facility in Guelph and is expected to make a full recovery and be released back into the wild.
Police are also providing some tips in case anyone encounters a bear.
Police say you should remain calm, avoid panicking, slowly back away while keeping the bear in sight and wait for it to leave. If the bear doesn’t leave, police say you should wave your arms and make noise with a whistle or air horn if those items are accessible.
If a bear poses an “immediate threat to personal safety and exhibits threatening or aggressive behaviour,” then police say people should call 911. Otherwise, police say the Bear Wise reporting line is available 24-7 for non-emergency encounters at 1-866-514-2327.