South Simcoe police have issued a public advisory after two bear sightings were reported in the Innisfil area over the long weekend.
Police say a bear was spotted Tuesday afternoon going into a wooded area near Nantyr Shores Secondary School.
They say other schools in the area have been warned.
One of the sightings appeared to be an adolescent black bear spotted near a golf course on the 10th Sideroad Sunday night, police said.
Police say bear sightings happen yearly and there is no cause for panic.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry have been notified. Police say they are monitoring the bear’s movement.
The MNRF has these instructions to minimize the chances of attracting bears:
- Store garbage in waste containers with tight-fitting lids.
- Put out garbage only on the morning of pickup.
- Put away bird feeders. Seed, suet and nectar attract bears.
- Pick fruits and berries as they ripen. Don't let them rot on the
- ground.
- Clean outdoor barbecue grills after each use, including the grease
- trap underneath. Bears will be drawn by smells from great distances,
- including grease and food residue on grills.
- Keep dogs on leash; sometimes bears will follow off-leash dogs back
- to you.
The force is urging residents not to approach a bear, but to call police instead.
