Bear sightings have been on the rise in the Parkland recently: experts suggest environmental pressures like dwindling food supplies and habitat changes like wildfires are causing bears to go further for resources, sometimes into residential areas. Minnedosa recently had a bear sighting in town, like many Manitoba communities in recent months.
Riding Mountain National Park is home to a large number of Black Bears. Tim Sallows, Resource Conservation Officer with RMNP says if you're driving through and see a bear, it's alright to stop and snap a pic if it's safe to do so, but stay in your vehicle!
"Stay within the speed limits, watch both of the ditches for any animals, not just bears, there's white-tailed deer and sometimes moose and other animals in the ditch. Slow down when you approach them, and if you want to take a picture, just stop for a few seconds, take your snapshot, and move along if it's at all possible," said Sallows.
If you're on foot, the rules definitely change. Sallows said Black Bears are usually timid around people, and unless you catch them by surprise, or if they're feeding, they'll usually stay away from people. It's also very important to pay attention to your surroundings.
"It's best to go in groups, just so that you make noise as you're walking along, talk with each other, if you're alone just hum, make noise every once in a while, bear bells might help a little bit. Be aware if there's signs of new bear activity along the trail, like scat along the trail or turned up logs, things like that," said Sallows.
Of the three North American bear species - Black Bears, Brown Bears, and Polar Bears - Black Bears are definitely the most docile. Though that's not to say they're not dangerous. Since 2020, there have been 8 Black Bear attacks in Canada, with 4 of those being fatal. For the most part, if you avoid them, they'll avoid you, but it doesn't hurt to practice good bear safety.
"We only have Black Bears in Riding Mountain, but they do come in different colours, anywhere from blonde with black socks, things like that, or just jet black, cinnamon coloured ones, brown ones, they're all different colours...bears are very weary of people for the most part, unless they've been habituated to human food, but if you're out on the trail, they should usually be gone if you're making noise, they'll run away long before you see them," said Sallows.
Parks Canada estimates there could be as many as 1,000 Black Bears in Riding Mountain National Park.
