Hungry bears in search of food in residential neighbourhoods, MNR says

Warmer weather means bears are emerging from hibernation, hungry and searching for easy food.

With the arrival of spring, hungry hibernating bears are emerging from their dens looking to fill their empty stomachs.

The Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) and Ontario Provincial Police are issuing reminders on how to prevent bear encounters.

“It is northern Ontario, so we’re bound to see bears at some point,” said Acting Sgt. Martin Thibault for North East OPP.

“Be cautious, sometimes (the bears) get a little bit more aggressive at certain times of the year, depending on how much food is available to them. Usually, they don’t venture into the communities unless they’re hungry.”

Mike McIntosh, founder and president of Bear With Us Bear Centre in Sprucedale, east of Parry Sound, said bears don’t naturally want to approach people.

“But they do come around people if they can get something to eat, ‘cause they’re always looking for food,” McIntosh said.

He operates the sanctuary and rehabilitation centre with his wife and has spent his life learning about bears and their behaviours.

McIntosh said bears aren’t that hungry when they first wake up, but work up an appetite as they begin to move around.

“If everything went well for them the past fall or summer, they have lots of body fat leftover to use up during the first few months of spring,” he said.

“However, if they can find an easy food source, they will take it.”

A spokesperson from the MNR said that, in early spring, natural food sources for black bears are limited.

“Bears rely mainly on low‑calorie foods such as emerging green vegetation, including grasses, sedges, dandelions, clover, insects and catkins,” the MNR said in an email.

Need lots of calories

“These foods help bears transition out of hibernation but do not provide the high energy needed for weight gain. High‑calorie foods, such as berries, are not available until later in the summer. As a result, bears may be attracted to non‑natural food sources like birdseed, pet food, food waste or improperly stored garbage.”

A full list of ways to avoid bear encounters can be found here.

“If a bear is just roaming around your neighbourhood or your backyard, that’s no reason for alarm,” McIntosh said.

“But that is time to try and figure out why the bear is there, especially (if you) see it regularly. That means it’s getting something to eat.”

Between April and November, the MNR operates a non-emergency, toll-free Bear Wise reporting line for bear encounters: 1-866-514-2327.

However, if a bear poses an immediate threat with aggressive behaviour it’s best to call 911.

The MNR said that in 2025, it received 1,817 calls to the Bear Wise reporting line from the northeast region.

“Districts of Timmins-Kirkland Lake, Hearst-Kapuskasing-Cochrane, and Chapleau-Wawa were the areas that experienced a decrease in natural food availability,” the MNR said.

“These areas saw higher call volume as bears responded to reduced food availability by seeking out alternative sources, such as apple trees, food waste in garbage, and birdfeeders.”