THUNDER BAY – Thunder Bay Police responded to three separate bear calls Wednesday evening in the area of Oliver Road between Balmoral Street and Golf Links Road. The bear returned to the wooded area in the first two incidents.
The third incident occurred at approximately 8:50PM on property near the intersection of Balmoral Street and Oliver Road.
During this encounter, officers requested the MNR attend to tranquilize the bear. While the animal was being contained awaiting the MNR personnel to attend, the behaviour of the bear resulted in the police having to shoot the bear for safety reasons.
Citizens are encouraged to go to the MNR Bear Wise website for information on how to deal with issues.
- To minimize the chances of attracting black bears;
- Store garbage in waste containers with tight-fitting lids;
- Put out garbage only on the morning of pick-up;
- Put away bird feeders. Seed, suet and nectar put out for birds also attract bears;
- Clean outdoor grills after each use, including the grease trap underneath. Bears will be drawn by smells from great distances, including grease and food residue on grills;
People who have problems with bears can call the toll-free bear reporting line anytime at 1-866-514-2327. In a life-threatening emergency, call 911 or your local police. Learn more about what you can do to keep bears out of your neighbourhood at ontario.ca/bearwise.
QUICK FACTS
Since 2004, Ontario’s Bear Wise program has been educating people about bears, how to avoid attracting bears and how to prevent human-bear conflicts.
Bear Wise also supports local prevention programs and partnerships with police to respond to human-bear incidents.
