Why did the bear cross the river? Wildlife expert weighs in on increase in London-area bear sightings
Brian Salt says black bear sightings in northern parts of Ontario are a regular occurrence, but he is perplexed by the recent uptick in reported bear sightings in the London area.
“This is really an anomaly, it just so happens we’ve seen bears in the London area two summers in a row, but it could be a trend. We don’t know,” said Salt, founder of the Salthaven Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Centre.
He says anytime wildlife is spotted closer to urban settings, it is typically because the animal is hungry and looking for its next meal.
In the case of this bear, it was likely being guided by the nearby river.
“Bears seem to be following the river, that’s really the lifeblood of all wildlife in the Forest City. That’s where food originates from, animals that eat fish or berries and they usually find it plentiful along the river,” said Salt.
He adds that if nearby trash or food is left lying around, that will also attract the large animal.
Norma Coates used to walk by that river frequently with her dog Ramone, but says she’s been wary of the area after hearing about the reported bear sighting Monday morning.
Instead, she will stick to the nearby Stony Creek Dog Park.
“We often walk at Kilally which is across the street and we go in the back area so I’m going to avoid it for a little bit because I know there’s bears around this year,” said Coates.
The London Police Service and the Ministry of Natural Resources are aware of the reported bear sighting and they are monitoring the area.
There have been no other reported sight of the bear since Monday morning.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Cargo ship had engine maintenance in port before Baltimore bridge collapse, officials say
The cargo ship that lost power and crashed into a bridge in Baltimore underwent 'routine engine maintenance' in port beforehand, the U.S. Coast Guard said Wednesday.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Far North police 'dispatch' polar bear stalking schoolyard
Police and local hunters in an Ontario Far North First Nation community have “dispatched” a polar that was showing abnormal behaviour and treating the area as a hunting ground.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
Families shocked after Niagara Falls hotel cancels bookings made year in advance of solar eclipse
After having the foresight to book their Niagara Falls hotel rooms more than a year in advance, several families planning to take in the solar eclipse next month were shocked to find out their reservations had been cancelled.
B.C. rescuers face 'high likelihood' of failure to reunite orphaned orca with pod
The race to reunite an orphaned orca calf that’s stuck in a shallow lagoon with a neighbouring pod has entered its fifth day, and a marine scientist says the clock is ticking.
Video shows police interrupting auto theft in progress outside Toronto home
New video footage obtained by CP24 shows the attempted theft of a vehicle in a North York driveway earlier this month that was ultimately interrupted by police.
Majority of Canadians believe in life after death: Angus Reid survey
A new survey from the Angus Reid Institute has found that a majority of Canadians believe in some form of life after death, a proportion that has held steady for decades.
MyPillow, owned by U.S. election denier Mike Lindell, formally evicted from Minnesota warehouse
A court ordered the eviction Wednesday of MyPillow from a suburban Minneapolis warehouse that it formerly used.