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Bear found, shot in town

The Town of Bonnyville had an unexpected visitor. Calls flooded in to the Fish and Wildlife Report a Poacher line about a black bear wandering through town early on Tuesday, May 31.
A black bear wandered its way into town last week, and was shot by Fish and Wildlife Officers.
A black bear wandered its way into town last week, and was shot by Fish and Wildlife Officers.

The Town of Bonnyville had an unexpected visitor.

Calls flooded in to the Fish and Wildlife Report a Poacher line about a black bear wandering through town early on Tuesday, May 31. The Bonnyville RCMP, Bonnyville Regional Fire Authority, and Fish and Wildlife responded to the call at about 8:00 a.m., locating the bear in a tree near an apartment complex by the Bonnyville Centennial Centre.

After assessing the situation, and noting the bear's agitated state, Fish and Wildlife officers decided to exterminate the bear.

“It was a fairly large bear, and this time of year the bears have already woken up and they're hungry and trying to get their intake up. There were lots of kids out before school, and all of those factors added up to the decision being made,” explained Bonnyville RCMP S/Sgt. Luis Gandolfi.

In these cases, it's up to the officer's discretion whether to tranquilize or shoot a bear.

The location of the animal, how many people or how much traffic is in the area, whether officers would consider the situation contained, the risk level of the bear escaping, and whether it's posing a public safety concern are deliberated when considering tranquilizing an animal.

This bear in particular was showing signs of agitation.

“The bear was in a position of high stress from everything it had experienced that morning. This stress can increase an animal's tolerance to immobilizing drugs,” said Brendan Cox, public affairs for the Ministry of Justice and Solicitor General.

“When that happens, it can result in under dosing. If a tranquilizer is used and it turns out to be under dosed it can lead to more stress and an even more aggravated animal.”

Even in perfect circumstances, it can take minutes before the tranquilizer kicks in.

“With those things combined, there was no guarantee that attempting to tranquilize the bear would have resolved that situation before the bear had an opportunity to flee or become aggressive. Sadly, officers had to put the bear down to ensure it didn't further endanger anyone in the vicinity, or escape from the tree and continue to pose a public safety risk,” Cox said.

The reason for the bear's visit is still unclear. There hadn't been reports of it in the area prior to Tuesday morning, making it difficult to determine exactly why the bear had wandered into town.

“Normally, if a bear is one that we've heard about before, it might have been brought into the area because of garbage or other unnatural food sources. This bear just came in from the east approaching town, and then headed into town. There were no prior complaints about it getting into garbage or anything,” Cox expressed.

That being said, it's important for residents to always keep their garbage and recycling inside, or in an airtight container.

Other things to consider to keep your home bear smart is removing any berry or fruit bearing plants or shrubs, and moving the barbecue inside and cleaning it after each use. Bird feeders have also been known to attract bears unintentionally.

Cox explained, “They're not out to attract bears of course, but they will attract birds, rodents, and many different species. It's not just exclusive to birds. When you're attracting all of those other species, then of course, there are other predators that will feed on those species. You can inadvertently attract other animals just by having a bird feeder in your backyard.”

Bears can smell any food source from kilometres away. That includes food in coolers, backpacks, or tents. When camping, it's important to remember to try and bring dry food instead of canned or fresh fruit, and to keep it in a vehicle if you're camping in a tent.

Try and make sure that there is space between your tent or trailer, and any other vehicles. This way, if a bear or other animal wanders onto your site, there is less chance of it feeling cornered or trapped.

Keeping dogs on a leash is also an important thing to consider. If you let your dog run freely, it could come across a bear. It's instinct will be to run right back to you, bear in tow.

“Before you go out, make sure someone knows that you're planning to go and where you're going. This way, if you're late someone else will know that you're out and something might be wrong,” suggested Cox.

He also recommends carrying a noisemaker, such as a whistle, and bear spray with you when you're camping or hiking in the woods.

If you come across a bear, back away while talking in a soft, low voice so it recognizes you as a human.

“Try and look around and see if there are any cubs or an animal carcasses, something that the bear will want to protect. If you see those things, back away from those and create some distance,” Cox explained.

If the bear is showing signs of stress and starts closing distance, it's important to remember not to run. For black bears, Cox suggests you try to make yourself look big, making lots of noise and yelling aggressively.

“Stand on a rock or a tree stump to show the bear that you're to be taken seriously, and use your noise maker and bear spray,” he noted, adding when using bear spray, aim for the face.

If it decides to attack, fight back.

“No one likes to put down an animal, especially one in good health. I understand residents' concerns. Our concerns primarily are always going to rest in public safety, and making sure that the bear doesn't harm anyone. With that being said, I think it's important to keep things in perspective, and consider that is our primary focus,”said Gandolfi.

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