People can help protect themselves and respect nature by being bear smart at homes, cottages or campsites in or near bear country, Conservation Minister Bill Blaikie said.
“The key to being bear smart is simple – remove things that attract black bears,” said Blaikie. “As Manitobans and visitors return to cottage country, bears will be attracted if they smell anything they consider food around parks, campsites, cottages, homes and communities.”
Bear Smart is an education and awareness public safety campaign designed to help reduce the negative consequences of human-wildlife encounters.
The Bear Smart program encourages people to eliminate or secure anything with a bear-attracting scent. Preventive measures will result in bears being less attracted to residences, cottages and campsites:
• Never approach or feed a bear.
• Double bag garbage and place it in a bear-resistant container, secured building or fenced area. Be sure to seal it so that odours do not escape. When bear proofing, remember – if it can be pried open with a crowbar, it’s not bear proof.
• Clean garbage containers regularly with bleach or ammonia to eliminate odours.
• Take garbage with you when leaving your home or cottage, or ask a neighbour to put out the garbage for you just before pickup.
• When possible, freeze garbage in bags and put the bags in the container just before garbage pickup, not the night before.
• Don’t burn garbage.
• Take down all bird feeders between April and November.
• Clean and store barbecues after use.
• Feed pets indoors and do not leave food dishes outdoors.
• Remove all ripened or fallen fruit daily in the morning and before dusk.
Bears are wild animals and must be respected. When in bear country, people should assume bears are in the vicinity even if no recent problems have been reported, said the minister
More information on how to be bear smart is available at www.manitoba.ca/blackbear.
