Look who tried to attend Sault College this afternoon

The MNRF along with the assistance of the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service were called to the front lawn of Sault College this afternoon where a bear cub fled up a tree. After successfully tranquilizing the bear, a net was quickly deployed with the assistance of a SSMPS officer to provide the sleepy cub with a safe fall from the tree.

The cub was then tagged and weighed before being transferred to an awaiting cage for relocation to an area far enough away from the City. The MNRF obviously had another busy day as the bear trailer contained a couple of bears just captured from the MacDonald area. Not to mention calls still coming in about numerous other sightings, including requests for assistance from the OPP about an injured mother bear with cubs in the Trout Lake area.

The MNRF told SaultOnline that the sudden influx of bears is due to poor conditions in their natural habitat. With very little food available in the wilderness, bears are making their way into rural areas as well as the City in search of alternative food sources such as apple trees and garbage not properly stored. With Winter approaching, bears have been known to travel 100’s of kilometers in search of food to prepare for hibernation.

You can help avoid potential wildlife conflicts such as those with bears by limiting food sources:

• put garbage in containers that have tight-fitting lids, and put them out only on the morning of garbage day, not the night before (you can purchase specially designed bear-resistant containers, which work best)
• take garbage to the dump often, if you do not have curbside pick-up
  frequently wash garbage cans, recycling containers and lids with a strong-smelling disinfectant
• fill bird feeders only through the winter months
• do not leave pet food outdoors, in screened- in areas or porches
• do not put meat, fish or fruit in composters outside (keep scraps in the freezer until garbage day)
• pick all ripe fruit from trees and bushes and fallen fruit off the ground
• remove grease and food residue from barbecue grills, including the grease cup underneath, after each use
• inform cottage renters of how to avoid attracting bears to the property

More helpful tips can be found on the MNRF Bear Wise website: https://www.ontario.ca/page/prevent-bear-encounters-bear-wise