Bears have been awake for about two weeks already, emerging from their dens and looking for food sources, so it's a good time to relearn some bear safety tips.
Lindsey Mitton, senior park interpreter at Birds Hill Park, says it’s important to be 'wildlife smart.' This is especially true if you like to visit parks and walking trails, or if you live in a rural area.
An easy and simple way to stay safe from bears as you go on walking trails is to take out your earbuds or headphones, as those limit your ability to hear your surroundings.
“If there's wildlife in the area, if there's something happening, you might not be aware of it because you can't hear what's going on around you.”
Another thing to remember if you have a dog, is to keep it on a leash.
"You definitely want to have your dog on a leash at all times so that you can have good control of your dog.”
She says the best thing to do if you encounter a bear is to give it lots of space.
“You want to back up away from the animal, you never want to turn your back and run because then you can't see what the animal is doing. And if you run, there is the possibility that the animal might start to chase you,” she says. “So you always want to be facing the animal, and slowly just back up, giving the animal lots of space.”
Mitton gives a piece of advice that many people wouldn’t typically think to do.
“Talk loudly. That way the animal can hear your voice getting further away from them, and that will be a signal to the animal that you're giving them space, you're not coming closer, you're moving further away from them.”
Sometimes when we see an animal, we freeze or we panic a little bit, but Mitton says if we stay calm, back away, give the animal lots of space, and use our voice to let them know that we're moving away from them, chances are that the animal is going to take off in the other direction.
“They really don't like to be around us.”
If you encounter a bear or a scary animal when out in the woods, you should inform conservation, or if you are in a park, inform the park office.
“It helps us to know what animals are in the area and allows our officers to be aware and keep an eye on those areas. And then if we do start to notice there being a problem, the officers can step in and help resolve that issue.”
She says they try to keep an idea of where bear sightings are happening, and if there are any distinguishing marks on the animal that help them to identify if it's the same animal being seen over and over again, or if it's different ones.
“So say if it's an adult male or if it's a female with cubs, that helps us to know which bears are in the area and which areas they're frequenting,” she says. “But bears have huge territories and so they do move around a lot. So just because you're seeing a bear in one area doesn't mean that's the only area they're going to stay in.”
Mitton also gives tips for being wildlife smart at home. These tips include picking up garbage on your property, cleaning grease off of your BBQ or grill, and taking down any bird feeders you have.
“If we're feeding birds or maybe putting out things for deer or rabbits in our yard, that can also be attracting bears to our property.”
Mitton says it’s also important to take care of pets on your property, as bears can sometimes become very aggressive toward dogs.
“Sometimes we think that our pet dog is going to protect us from a bear, but in reality, that bear might be attracted to the dog and might then come toward you.”
She says if you live on a rural property where your dog has lots of room to run around, you should consider having your dog tethered or make sure you are outside with your animals and keeping an eye on them.
~With files from Carly Koop~