Bear Safety

Bear Safety!
There have been many bear sightings over the past couple of weeks, including a mother bear and her two cubs. It is wonderful to see these beautiful animals in their natural habitat. It is another experience altogether to have a bear break into your cottage. For the safety of bears, as well as people, please remember that bears have an outstanding sense of smell and can detect the presence of food from a long way away. They have huge appetites and are eating round the clock in order to build up their fat reserves for winter. Furthermore, cubs born in 2019 are heading out on their own between June and August. These “teenaged” cubs need time to adjust to life without their mothers. As a result, they sometimes use poor judgment in their
quest for food and territory!
The poor berry crop this season is making it more likely for bears to approach cottages when they smell food. Fortunately, other natural foods that bears eat, such as acorns and beechnuts, are ripening and are expected to be more plentiful. In the meantime, it is important to do everything possible to keep bears from approaching and entering cottage buildings.
For the safety of our families and the bears, please remember the following:
1. Never approach or feed a bear.
2. Keep your windows and doors shut when you are not in the cottage.
3. Clean your BBQ thoroughly after use.
4. Do not use hummingbird or bird seed/suet feeders.
5. Do not store pet food, pet dishes, fridges or freezers outside or on screen porches.
6. Do not leave ripe fruit or other attractive foods out on tables near open windows.
7. Keep garbage in a secure building and dispose of it frequently.
8. Wash containers prior to putting them in recycling bins to reduce odour.
9. Do not compost food outdoors.
10. Avoid planting vegetable gardens.

For excellent educational resources about bears, information on what to do if you encounter a bear steps to take if you see an injured bear/orphaned cub, or help with human/bear conflict situations, go to:

Be Bear Wise – ontario.ca
Bear With Us – bearwithus.org