Over the past few summers bear encounters have been more frequently reported in Manitoba.
A bear made its way into the city of Dauphin yesterday, which is something that happens once or twice a year according to Janine Wilmot, a Human-wildlife conflict biologist with the Government of Manitoba.
“That’s definitely not a location where you’d be expecting to encounter a black bear, so whenever you’re outside make sure to be aware of your surroundings because you never know when these things might happen.”
Wilmot adds that bears have a great sense of smell, and are motivated by their stomachs.
“Really important to try to make sure you don’t have any potential food attractants in your yard. We don’t want to give black bears a reason to come into your yard, or to linger in those areas, or to return.”
Wilmot says that if you’re walking a dog it’s good to keep it on a short leash in case of a bear or any other wildlife that you might encounter.
“If you do encounter a black bear, step one is to just stop, remain calm and assess the situation. If the bear is not aware of your presence you can simply leave the area quietly, keeping an eye on the bear as you leave the area, making sure its behavior doesn’t change, trying to back away the way that you came.”
She adds that if you see defensive behavior it’s an indicator that you’re too close. She says in that situation you can slowly back away and talk to the bear in a calm, reassuring tone, and slowly leave the area.
