A little foresight keeps the bears away

Oh, bother!

With the weather warming up, black and grizzly bears have begun to rouse from their long winter slumber.

And as the animals seek to replenish their energy reserves following months in hibernation, they will gladly gravitate towards the easiest possible sources of food that offer the least amount of resistance.

Of course living in a community such as Sundre, which is comfortably nestled in Alberta's foothills surrounded by nature, that means no shortage of potential for encounters — something we no doubt would all rather avoid.

After all, we know better than some tourists who seem to have the misguided impression that bears are cute, cuddly, fuzzy wuzzy, friendly creatures that are just waiting for the opportunity to take a perfect selfie with a human.

Although encounters between bears and people, their pets, livestock or properties cannot always be prevented in municipalities like ours, preventive measures can and certainly should be taken to significantly reduce the likelihood of conflicts.

To that end, local Fish and Wildlife officials are reminding Sundre and surrounding area residents to be mindful of clearing out or securely storing anything on their property that could potentially lure a groggy, hungry bear.

Sometimes, a bear might be drawn to something on a property that the homeowner might simply be unaware actually attracts the animals, said Darren McInnes, Fish and Wildlife officer.

"If they're in your yard, there's usually a reason why."

The Fish and Wildlife officer encourages everyone to be mindful of what is being left out on their properties because any kind of food source has the potential to draw out "all kinds of critters," he said.

"At the end of the day, it's not just the bears you have to worry about."

But there does exist in the Sundre region a healthy population of both black and grizzly bears. Whether residents should report a sighting or encounter depends largely on where the incident occurred, he said.

"If you're out in the mountains driving up a road and you see a bear crossing, they live out there, so it's not a real issue. But if it's in your yard, call us."

In such scenarios, a person should call Report A Poacher, he said.

That provincial hotline can be reached at 1-800-642-3800, and is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

But with a little foresight and planning, Sundre and surrounding area residents should be able to avoid any unwanted four-legged visitors from lurking on their properties in search of food. Click here for a related story.