Thunder Bay resident Jeff Tiboni stumbled upon a black bear lounging under a tree in his neighbor’s yard one evening. Tiboni recounted the encounter, mentioning that he spotted the bear munching on apples as it glanced up at him. After attempting to deter the bear with a bear banger, Tiboni noticed the animal circling the neighboring house and swiftly returning to the apple trees.
Living near a vast park, Tiboni noted that bear sightings were common, but this year has seen an increase. Following the apple feasting, bears began targeting garbage cans as an alternative food source. The attraction to the area was primarily due to the neighbor’s apple tree, which served as a significant draw for the bears.
According to the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR), bears are in hyperphagia, a phase preceding hibernation where they spend up to 20 hours daily feeding and can consume around 20,000 calories. Micheline Mamone, the MNR’s provincial coordinator for human-wildlife Management, explained that bears are seeking food to fatten up for hibernation, with apple trees being particularly enticing during late summer and fall when the fruit ripens.
Fluctuations in natural food sources like berries, acorns, and nuts in bear habitats often lead to spikes in bear sightings. A poor berry harvest this year has driven many bears towards residential areas where they can find food sources such as garbage, bird feeders, compost, pet food, and fruit trees.
To minimize bear attractants, the MNR suggests practical steps like promptly harvesting ripe fruit from trees, securely storing garbage in bear-resistant containers, limiting bird feeders to the winter months, feeding pets indoors, and cleaning barbecue grills thoroughly. Mamone emphasized that these precautions significantly reduce the likelihood of attracting bears to residential areas.
Residents can dispose of apples and other yard waste during designated fall collection periods provided by the City of Thunder Bay to further mitigate bear encounters. In case of bear sightings, non-emergency incidents should be reported to the Bear Wise reporting line, while emergency situations warrant immediate contact with local authorities.
Mamone stressed the importance of community cooperation in managing properties to prevent bear attractants and ensure neighborhood safety.