(BRUCE PENINSULA, ON) – Each Spring, bears awaken from their winter hibernation and start looking for food. Sometimes the search for food leads them into populated areas which some people can find very unsettling.
The Bruce Peninsula Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is offering some tips from the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) bear wise program to help reduce your chances of encountering a bear:
Store garbage in containers with tight lids
Only put garbage out the day of collection
Clean outdoor grills after each use, including the grease trap
Only fill bird feeders during winter months
Don’t let leave pet food outside
Pick ripe fruit from trees and bushes
Bear sightings should be reported to the MNR Bear Hotline at 1 866 514 2327.
Anyone interested in more information on wildlife can contact the MNR at 1 800 667 1940 or check online at http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca.