Bear sightings a concern for many Elliot Lake residents

Despite several bear sightings reported by Elliot Lake residents and posted on social media, a Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) official says there is no indication the encounters are up from last year.

“From April 1, we have received 235 calls into the Bear Wise Reporting Line for the Sault Ste. Marie district, approximately 22 of which have been from Elliot Lake are,” said Karen Passmore, regional outreach specialist with the ministry. “This is very comparable to the number of calls received last year at this same time when the district received 231 calls into the reporting line. It’s important to note that one bear can result in multiple calls.”

She noted that of the calls in the Elliot Lake area, some have included bears in garbage, bird feeders or other attractants. There was one reported encounter by what was described as an aggressive bear in the Spine Road and Ottawa Avenue area.

“Bears have exceptional memories and will return again and again to the same place if they’ve found an easy meal. That’s why it’s important to secure your garbage until the morning of pick up and put away bird feeders during the summer months,” she said.

A city bylaw states residents should put garbage out to the curb in secure cans early on the day of garbage collection.

Bear eating habits can be predictable, Passmore noted.

“From the time bears come out of hibernation to the time they return, their lives revolve around food. Their need is to eat 20,000 calories a day and to put that in perspective, that’s equal to 78 pounds of blueberries or one seven-pound bird feeder filled with black oil sunflower seeds,” she said. “We know that if natural foods are abundant, bears will be able to get what they need in the forest, and human-bear encounters tend to decrease. If natural foods are low, that’s when bears start to look elsewhere for easily available food, like garbage.”

A late frost this spring may have affected food production with serviceberries doing well, and apple, cherry, and blueberry growth slightly below average at this point.

“There is also typically an abundance of natural foods growing throughout the community, which, if not picked when ripe, may cause an increase in bear sightings in the community.”

Passmore said last year was an excellent cub year, meaning there are many family groups with three or more cubs.

“Those ‘cubs’ are now considered yearlings and sows typically fend off their yearlings at this time of the year to have the yearlings establish their own territory as an adult bear. This could also be a reason for sightings.”

She added this advice for residents.

What can people do to be safe when they encounter a bear? 

• When bears are caught off guard, they usually just want to flee. If you do encounter a bear:
• Slowly back away while keeping the bear in sight and wait for it to leave. Don’t run or climb a tree – they are fast climbers!
• If the bear does not leave, throw objects, wave your arms and make noise with a whistle or air horn.
• If you are near a building or vehicle, get inside as a precaution.
• Drop any food you may be carrying and slowly move away.
• If a bear is in a tree, leave it alone. Leave the area. The bear will come down when it feels safe.

Who do we contact if we see a bear?

Not every bear sighting is an emergency situation. Usually they are just passing through or searching for food. Call 911 or your local police if a bear poses an immediate threat to personal safety and exhibits threatening or aggressive behaviour, such as:

• enters a school yard when school is in session
• stalks people and lingers at the site
• enters or tries to enter a residence
• wanders into a public gathering

Police will respond first to an emergency situation, and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry will assist as requested during daylight hours.

For non-emergency situations, call the toll-free Bear Wise reporting line at 1-866-514-2327 (TTY 705-945-7641) if a bear:

• roams around or checks garbage cans
• breaks into a shed where garbage or food is stored
• is in a tree
• pulls down a bird feeder or knocks over a barbecue
• moves through a backyard or field but does not linger