THUNDER BAY — After receiving numerous reports of bear activity in the Northwood area of the city, the Ministry of Natural resources has set up a mobile trap.
An MNR spokesperson said it's working with Thunder Bay Police on the issue, but as of Wednesday morning no bear has been trapped.
TBPS said it has also received multiple calls from concerned Northwood residents in the past couple of weeks.
Officers have responded on various occasions, but a spokesperson said police will only take action if a bear is posing a direct threat to public safety.
He said the number of nuisance bear reports from all over the city appears to be significantly higher this year than last year.
Police have not dispatched any bears to date.
The MNR released the following recommendations regarding bear encounters:
- Call 911 or your local police if your safety is at risk
- Remain calm – often the bear is just passing through and will move on if no food source is found
- If a bear is in a tree, leave it alone and remove other people and dogs from the area
- Keep away from the bear, and do not block its exit
- Tell others of its location and warn them to keep away, and bring children and pets indoors
- If near a building or car, get inside as a precaution
- If the bear was attracted to food or garbage, remove these items after the bear leaves to discourage the bear from returning
- Keep dogs on leash and away from bears
- If you have a conflict with a bear, call the Bear Wise line toll-free at 1-866-514-2327 for advice on how to avoid human-bear encounters during bear season (April 1 to November 30)
- Slowly back away while watching the bear
- If a bear tries to approach you, do not turn and run— make noise, throw rocks or sticks, and make yourself appear as big as possible
- Carry a noise-making device such as a whistle or air horn, and use it if necessary
- If the bear continues to approach you, keep backing away slowly while acting aggressively towards the bear
- If you are carrying bear repellent, make sure you are familiar with the product and how it is used, using it only if the bear is attacking you or is extremely close to you
- Bear attacks are rare, however, if a bear does attack, do not play dead unless you are sure it is a mother bear attacking you in defence of cubs
- Fighting back is the best chance of discouraging a bear from continuing its attack, so use a large stick, a rock, or anything else that you can to deter the bear
