There have been a few bear sightings lately in neighborhoods in the Southeast, and a spokesperson from Manitoba Conservation says it's not unusual to see a black bear at this time of year.

Janine Stewart, Human Wildlife Conflict Management Biologist with MB Conservation says bears are most active from April to November, and there are a few things we can do to help prevent a visit from a black bear.

First of all, Stewart says bears tend to be motivated by their stomach and led by their nose. “We really encourage people to secure any attractants that might cause bears to be attracted to their backyard which includes, keeping garbage stored properly in an area that can't be accessed by bears, keeping pet food indoors, and by putting bird feeders away from April to November when bears are most active. There's lots of natural food for birds during that time. If you have fruit trees or fruit bushes in your yard, just make sure that as the fruit ripens it gets picked each day and removed from where bears can access it.”  

If you happen to come face to face with a bear, Stewart says the first thing to do is stay calm and assess the situation. Your response should be based on what the bear's actions are. For instance, if the bear is not aware you are in the area, you can simply quietly leave the area, keeping an eye on the bear to see if its behaviour has changed.

There are two other types of encounters people would be most concerned about, one would be a defensive encounter. "When a bear is behaving defensively, it will show signs of being agitated, so things like excessive salivation, jaw popping, or huffing noises, or even swatting the ground or swatting at bushes. Those are signs that a bear is uncomfortable with how close you are.”

In that type of situation, Stewart says you want to reassure the bear that you are not a threat, by speaking calmly to the bear, letting it know you are human and you're not a threat.

Another situation of concern would be a predatory encounter, where a bear considers you to be food. Stewart says in this situation, you want to let the bear know you are a potential threat. “In this situation, you want to make yourself bigger, perhaps raising your jacket over your head, making a lot of noise, threatening motions, and shouting.”

Stewart notes, if everyone does everything right in a bear encounter, you tend to make enough noise that bears will leave the area long before you even have a chance to see them. “In Manitoba, physical interactions between people and bears where there is actual physical contact happens on average less than once a year in our province, which is very rare, which we are thankful for.”

More information on being Bear Smart can be found on the MB Conservation website.