PETERBOROUGH-After a black bear was spotted in the west end of the City of Peterborough recently, Peterborough Police Service is reminding residents what they can do if they spot a bear in their area.
The Ontario Government through the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) has a Be Bear Wise website: https://www.ontario.ca/page/prevent-bear-encounters-bear-wise
If it is an emergency situation call 9-1-1. If it is not an emergency, residents are asked to call the toll-free Bear Wise reporting line at 1-866-514-2327.
Emergency situations are when the bear poses an immediate threat to personal safety and exhibits 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
- kills livestock/pets and lingers at the site
Peterborough Police and the Ministry of Natural Resources say they often work together in these situations.
Non-emergency encounters include:
- 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
The Bear Wise line (1-866-514-2327) operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, from April 1 to November 30.
The Be Bear Wise website also includes safety tips about what to do should you encounter a bear.
