Bear sightings reported in northern GTA
Posted May 10, 2011 1:55 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
YORK REGION, Ont. – Black bears have finally awoken after an exceptionally long winter, and are now roaming the north end of the GTA for food.
There have been at least eight sightings in recent days, as a small population of black bears in northern York and Durham region, near Lake Simcoe, come out of hibernation and wander south. However, there have been fewer than there were at this time last year.
A few of the most recent sightings were in a woodlot at Bathurst and Henderson in Aurora. However, it is possible all were of the same bear. Others reported sightings in Uxbridge and Georgina.
“For bears, it’s all about food,” said John Almond with the Ministry of Natural Resources. “They can lose up to half of their body weight over the course of the winter.”
“There aren’t a lot of natural foods available right now and bears are easily attracted to non-natural food sources.”
An adult male usually weighs between 250 and 650 pounds, while a female weighs 100 to 400 pounds.
Almond told 680News there are several ways to keep the bears away from your property.
“Clean up the bird feeders in the spring. You don’t need to feed birds in the summertime. If you’ve got fruit trees on your lawn that have cast fruit in the fall, those should be cleaned up in the spring. Put your garbage out the morning of pick up as opposed to the night before,” he said, adding that trash containers should have tight lids.
“People have been feeding birds all winter, and they continue to feed them. There’s bird seed all over the lawn and that’s a big-time food attractant for black bears.”
Almond said outdoor grills are also a bear favourite, and that barbecues should be cleaned after each use.
Should you come face to face with one, back away quickly, make a lot of noise and get into your house or car.
The population of bears in the northern and northeastern parts of the GTA is small, or “low density”, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources.
If you see a bear, you are asked to report it to the Ministry’s Bear Sighting Hotline at 1-866-514-2327 or (TTY) 705-945-7641.
For more information on black bears found in the GTA, click here.
