Spring has arrived in northern Saskatchewan, which means more bears are roaming the land.
Saskatchewan Environment says a few bear sightings have been reported so far this year.
Last year, the ministry had just over 100 bear-related calls in the La Ronge area alone, which is higher than normal.
Environment officials say the higher bear activity was due to the late and wet spring that delayed food sources. The lack of food sources prompted bears to get bolder and explore more human sources of food.
Daryl Minter, the compliance manager with the ministry’s office in La Ronge, says the bear population in the north this year is healthy, so sightings will not be uncommon.
“Bears are normally quite cautious around humans and it’s actually rare that they would chase or charge a human in normal situations,” he says. “However, the one word I would use to describe bears is ‘unpredictable’.”
Minter says people should be aware of some bear safety tips if encountering a bear.
“Some of the safety precautions we suggest in bear country is to never feed or approach a bear, do not leave out garbage and if you do spot a bear make a wide detour and calmly back away,” says Minter.
Minter also says to never run away from a bear because nobody can outrun a bear.
One of the most common myths Minter says people believe about bear safety is that you should play dead.
“They also say a black bear will not threaten or attack if you are playing dead,” says Minter. “But that’s incorrect and if you are attacked you should defend yourself.”
Minter says human activity is the biggest factor on how many bears are attracted to communities.