Bear sightings normal this time of year: Biologist

The weather is warming up as summer creeps closer, and now the bears are starting to roam.

Bear sightings have been reported across the province recently, leading some to believe there’s been an increase in the bear population or that they’ve started moving more south. But black bear biologist Matthew Tokaruk said that isn’t the case.

“This is pretty normal for this time of year … These are, to use a people kind of comparison, they are kind of like 18-year-olds and the sow, the female bear, is saying it’s time for you guys to head out on your own,” said Tokaruk.

“These bears can travel pretty great distances — hundreds of kilometres at times — looking for new habitats, new food sources, you name it. They’re out on their own for the first time, and these are the bears we tend to see in the areas we wouldn’t expect them,” he explained.

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With people beginning to spend much more time outside camping and fishing, Tokaruk said there are some simple steps to help avoid bear encounters.

“The first thing we do before we even see bears is manage those attractants — those things that smell good to us and smell good to bears. So if we’re camping, that means keeping your cooler in your vehicle, not cleaning fish in your campsite, keeping your garbage locked away in the vehicle before it goes to the dumpster, and those same rules apply in our cabins and our acreages and even in town,” said Tokaruk.

If a person does come across a bear face-to-face, there are a few tips the Government of Saskatchewan lists online for how to stay safe.

Stay calm and don’t run. Instead, try to make a wide detour while calmly backing away. The government advised people to speak in low tones and to not look directly at the bear.

People are told to try to use objects or structures to obstruct the bear’s line of sight. As a last resort, the government said a person can drop articles of clothing, like as a jacket or hat, to distract the bear.

If those things don’t work, bear spray can be used.

According to the government, in most cases, black bears will threaten but not attack. If a person is attacked, the government said a person should defend themselves, not play dead.