Be Bear Wise

There are still several weeks of summer remaining and that means people will continue to enjoy the outdoors. With that in mind the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry has some tips on how to stay safe when it comes to Bears. Jeremy Inglis is the Bear Wise Program Coordinator and he says if you’re going on a hike or doing some camping you should make noise as you move through wooded areas. He adds if you encounter a bear – never run.

Inglis says if the bear knows you are there, raise your arms to let the bear know you are a human and make yourself look as big as possible.

And if a bear approaches you, drop any food you may be carrying and continue backing up.

Lastly, if a bear does attack, Inglis says you must fight back.

Inglis says at the cottage, the number one attractant for bears is garbage so make sure it’s stored in a bear resistant container or in a garage or basement. 

And don’t worry about putting food in the bird feeder as that is also something that attracts bears in the summer.

As well, if you’re camping he says making sure you’re being cautious with your food will help keep the bears at a distance. 

Inglis says to tie the food up using a tree as leverage. He says if it’s at least 3 meters above the ground and 2 meters from the tree, the bears can’t get access to it.

As well, burn your food scraps.

Inglis adds bears prefer to avoid people and will leave an area long before you’re aware of their presence.