The Hawkesbury Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) are warning residents that a bear was sighted in the Lefaivre area on June 30. The Ministry of Natural Resources was contacted, and the OPP would like to share a few tips to minimize the chances of attracting bears.
Food is the main motivator for bears to wander into human areas, so the OPP recommends that people store their garbage in air-tight containers and only put it out the morning of pickup. They also recommend that people put away bird feeders, pick up fruit and berries to avoid letting them rot on the ground, and clean outdoor grills after each use.
If a bear is showing threatening or aggressive behaviour, call 911 immediately. For non-emergencies, call the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry’s bear reporting line toll-free at 1-866-514-2327.
Finally, the OPP would like to remind everyone to not approach bears, as they are still wild animals no matter how cute they appear.