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Be aware, the bears are out and about

Spring has sprung, which means bears are becoming more active, causing an increased potential for them to come into contact with humans
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Bears are out and about, meaning they’re more likely to interact with humans and cause trouble.

There are fewer natural food sources available to them in the spring, the City of Greater Sudbury cautions in a media release. 

As such, they tend to gravitate toward garbage and bird feed, and therefore populated areas. 

The city offers residents the following safety tips:

  • Put away winter bird feeders, seed and suet before spring arrives
  • Clean outdoor barbeque grills after each use, including the grease trap
  • Do not leave pet food outdoors or in screened-in areas or porches
  • Keep dogs leashed when walking through communities or in bear country to reduce the potential for an unwanted interaction with a bear
  • Ensure garbage is stored in waste containers with tight-fitting lids
  • Wash your garbage, recycling and organic containers and lids often with a strong smelling disinfectant to reduce odours
  • Put out garbage, recycling and green carts only on the morning of your waste pickup day, not the night before
  • Download and set reminders on the Waste Wise app to remind you when to put out your waste

The city continues to offer a Report-A-Bear website, which is a peer-to-peer online mapping tool that allows residents to share information about bear sightings within the community. 

People can log onto greatersudbury.ca/bears to provide details of bear sightings, including date, time, location, number and other details. Bear sightings may also be noted by emailing [email protected] or by calling 705-674-4455, ext. 2327 (BEAR) and leaving a detailed message.

Not every bear sighting is an emergency situation but if a bear is posing an immediate threat to personal or public safety, the city urges people to phone 911.

For more tips on preventing bear encounters, visit ontario.ca/bearwise.


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