UPDATED: Bear wandering through Lumsden put down by RCMP, mayor says

A young black bear caught the eyes of curious people in Lumsden as it wandered through town on Wednesday evening.

The Lumsden Municipal Office said it was informed by Lumsden RCMP on Friday morning that the bear was put down.

Mayor Bryan Matheson said the town was told that RCMP and conservation officers were looking for the bear mid-afternoon on Thursday. The animal was euthanized on Thursday evening.

“I’m sad for the bear, but I understand the positions of the conservation officers and the RCMP,” Matheson said. “I know that once a bear finds food they tend to want to stay there.”

The town office was told that RCMP made multiple attempts to trap and bait the bear without success.

RCMP said officers responded to a call that the bear was in a tree on James St. S. After officers arrived, they assessed the situation and determined it was an “imminent risk” to public safety.

RCMP confirmed that the bear was shot out of the tree by an officer at the scene.

A statement from the Ministry of Policing, Corrections, and Public Safety, said the bear was in one of the most populated areas of Lumsden.

“When dealing with problem bears, responding officers assess each situation to determine the best approach, with public safety as the top consideration. In this case, the trap set by conservation officers was not successful in capturing the bear,” the statement read. “Because the bear was mobile and not contained, chemical immobilization/relocation would not have been a viable option in this case, even if conservation officers had been able to reach the scene in time. RCMP officers are not trained or equipped to tranquilize or relocate wildlife.”

The statement added that conservation officers began receiving reports of the bear in town on Wednesday evening, with attempts to trap and relocate the bear on Thursday.

Matheson first heard about the bear after he got a message from the town office early Thursday morning. He said the animal was first spotted wandering into town around 9 p.m. on Wednesday evening and had left around Thursday at noon.

During his 14-year tenure as Mayor, Matheson said he had never seen a bear in town before and called the situation “a rare occurrence.” He wasn’t overly concerned about safety risks posed by the bear.

“This bear was much more afraid of humans than humans would have been of the bear,” he said. “He was just a three-year-old youngster who was looking for something to eat. If a dog or a human would have been around, he probably would have run away.”

As the bear lumbered through the community, the town office decided to take the opportunity to test out its new emergency alert system, sending out a message letting residents know about the bear and warning them to be cautious.

Matheson said he’d heard about the bear was that it was heading into Deer Valley, likely to make its home in the Qu’Appelle Valley before getting the update that the bear had to be put down.

Matthew Tokaruk, the Ministry of Environment’s black bear biologist, said the animals are often looking for something to eat this time of year.

“Basically, If it smells good to us, it smells good to bears,” he said.

He said it’s important to keep garbage lids on tight and barbecues clean to avoid attracting bears. If there isn’t a food source available, bears will keep wandering, which will reduce the potential for a problematic encounter.

Tokaruk reminded the public that it is illegal to feed bears, adding that bird seed and pet food can also attract bears if left out.

Although it may not seem like it, Tokaruk said that areas like Lumsden and the Qu’Appelle Valley are part of black bear country. The bear wandering through Lumsden had a cinnamon-coloured coat, but Tokaruk noted that despite their name, black bears can have many different colours of fur.

If you encounter a bear, Tokaruk advised keeping a respectful distance or heading for shelter or a vehicle. If you leave a bear alone, he said it will normally leave you alone as well.

If you happen to come across an aggressive bear, Tokaruk said you may want to toss an article of clothing to distract it while you move away. If you have bear spray, be prepared to use it.

But, Tokaruk said, it is very rare to come across an aggressive bear.

“Most times when you see a bear, you’re seeing the butt of a bear running away,” he said. “It’s not interested in you and it’s moving on.”

Tokaruk said it’s exceptionally rare for a bear to attack a human, but if that does happen he said it’s best to fight back rather than playing dead.

The biologist said it’s often young bears that get into the most trouble while they navigate life away from the den.

Editor’s Note: This story was updated to include new information after the town confirmed the bear was euthanized.