The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry wants to make sure you’re being “Bear Wise” for your last summer long weekend.
MNRF Communications Officer Jolanta Kowalski, says bears don’t usually like coming near people. What attracts them is food and they will often go out of their way to find it if the scent is in the air. Bears are also creatures of habit, and will often return to areas where they’ve found food before.
Kowalski says keeping bears off your property is easy if you do things like put your garbage out on collection day instead of the night before, fill bird feeders in the winter and make sure the barbecue is always clean.
If you’re going for a hike, always keep your head up and stay alert. Kowalski says its best to keep your attention on the forest around you and not on your phone. She says always make lots of noise and try to make sure you’re with a group of people.
You can learn more about how to stay Bear Wise here.
With files from Matt Reisler.Â