Why does it seem like bears are “all over the place” in recent weeks?

“Quite a few calls” have been made in Alberta communities, a hungry bear wandering a golf course in Ottawa, and even “extreme bear activity” in British Columbia.

The apparent influx of bears might have some people concerned about unusual behaviour. But the simple explanation, in the immortal words of Ned Stark from “Game of Thrones” is: Winter is coming.

The gradual decrease in temperature and shortening daylight hours means that bears are now hunting and scavenging for food before they hibernate through winter. They’re getting closer to where people live because once bears figure out where they could snag an easy meal from say, food in garbage or left out on picnic tables, they’ll remember.

Authorities told CTV Vancouver that if Canadians encounter a bear, they should never try to run away, but the advice varies depending on the situation and species, according to the B.C. Parks wildlife guide. For a full list of advice, scroll to the bottom for tips if you come face to face with a bear yourself.

Here’s a roundup of recent sightings across Canada:

In British Columbia:

Conservation officers worked to trap a brazen bear which climbed into a Coquitlam, B.C. family's van in early September, while a child was sitting in the front seat. The bear began munching on a bag of oats in the back of the vehicle.

Fortunately, the family was able to scare the animal off by activating the van's alarm system. But the B.C. Conservation Officer Service said the bear's behaviour is still troubling.

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A trap was set up in a regional park in B.C.'s Lower Mainland due to what officials have described as "extreme bear activity," at the end of August. Metro Vancouver Regional Parks said the trap was used to capture an aggressive bear known to be in the area of Lynn Headwaters.

There were multiple reports that it had been chasing dogs and even people—one of which outran it and hid in a building.

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A bear alert was also in place for the Lynn Loop Trail in north Vancouver, with officials warning people to avoid the area. One bear even attacked and killed an off-leash dog there, in mid-August.

 

In Alberta:

Alberta Fish and Wildlife officials confirmed Monday that 10 bears were trapped in a period of 10 days and relocated away from the community west of Calgary. Brendan Cox, a spokesperson for Alberta Fish and Wildlife’s enforcement branch, fielded “quite a few calls” about black bears in the Redwood Meadows area throughout the summer.

“Just like a person has a favourite restaurant or a favourite grocery store, bears will quickly learn where they can get food and it’s hard to change that behaviour and then that becomes a public safety risk when they rely on human-populated areas for food,” he said referring to garbage left out.


Saskatchewan:

Four bears in Jan Lake, Sask. had been regularly roaming the area, which led a ministry of the environment operation to shoot the bears once they were cornered up a tree in early August.

But a 13-year-old girl was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries after being hit with some ricochet bullet fragments. That same report mentioned how a bear was caught in a trap in the same area, the week before.

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In late August, Daniela Hamm and her 11-year-old son Davin had just started biking on the Grey Owl Trail in Prince Albert National Park when they were confronted by a bear. They came away from that encounter unscathed despite the bear charging them three times.

“It goes through my mind, two people are not going to die today,” said Hamm. “This might be the end and I need to say my goodbyes.”

 

Ottawa region:

Then, the number of bear sightings around the capital region reached 63 for the month, according to the National Capital Commission, a Crown corporation helps with the conservation and improvement of the Ottawa region.

“It was just incredible -- there were black bears all over the place,” said conservation specialist Richard Moore, who fired the tranquilizer darts at a wayward bear clinging to a downtown tree. "It's not abnormal to have black bears around urban lands... especially in the fall when it's time to put some fat on."

The latest sighting was at the Champlain Golf Course on Aylmer Road this weekend, where a bear was shaking trees trying to snag some acorns.

Tips when encountering a bear:

Caroline Bujold, spokesperson for Ministry of Forestry, Wildlife and Parks, told CTV Ottawa that people should do the following:

  • Never approach a bear, especially young cubs.
  • Remember that black bears will sometimes stand up on their hind legs, but they generally do so to better identify a scent or a source of noise.
  • Don’t shout or make any sudden movements. Talk to the bear in a soft voice and back up slowly until it goes away, or go in a different direction.
  • If the bear follows you intently, face it and try to look imposing. Wave your arms above your head. Talk loudly. Try to intimidate it. Bang a stick against a tree trunk or the ground. This should be enough to scare it off.
  • Playing dead is not recommended, and neither is climbing a tree (since bears are good climbers). Instead, stay alert and be ready to face it in the event of an attack.
  • If the bear does attack, defend yourself with whatever is close at hand.