Skip to content
  1. Home
  2. Spotlight
Sponsored Content

GREEN LIVING: How to be bear wise: Recognize how human behaviour impacts black bears

What to expect about bear behaviour around Greater Sudbury this fall
adobestock_223079474

Many of us feel rejuvenated in the fall, spurred into action by the crisp temperatures. It turns out we’re not the only ones; black bears also become more active this time of year. The City of Greater Sudbury is surrounded by black bear habitats, and the animals are sometimes attracted to the city when they are looking for something to eat.

Every autumn, bears are on the hunt for food—and lots of it. With unlimited food and water, black bears can drink several gallons and consume as much as 15,000-20,000 kilo calories per day. 

This nearly nonstop eating and drinking in the fall, a period called hyperphagia, helps them put on weight and prepare for their winter rest, called torpor. During this autumn phase, they are very active and Greater Sudbury residents may see them out and about.

Normally, these omnivores are looking for berries, roots, grasses, nuts, buds, shoots, leaves and twigs, as well as insects, fish, and dead animals. Described as opportunistic feeders, they’ll take advantage of any food source—which can bring them into contact with crops, campsites, garbage dumps and people when their usual sources of food are not as available. They have an acute sense of smell and can detect these food sources from very far away.

This sense of smell can also allow them to smell or hear humans and retreat before they’re detected; however, when bears are attracted into human areas, they cannot always avoid us. It is important for us to understand how to stay safe around bears if we see them, and how to help keep them in their own spaces.

Changing bear habitats

Habitat fragmentation—when once-continuous areas of forest become smaller and isolated, sometimes due to human activity—can impact a bear’s ability to prepare to survive long winters.

Urban development and climate change also contribute and have resulted in shrinking habitats for bear dens, as well as limited food availability.

Torpor

Bears spend the winter in a restful state called torpor. During this time, they do not eat or move very much. Torpor is a deeper than normal sleep that happens in the winter and allows bears to conserve energy. It is involuntary, triggered by colder temps and the decreased availability of food. 

Bears like to spend their winter torpor in dens. Usually, you’ll find bear dens in rock crevices, hollow logs, and under the root masses of trees. Sometimes they will also make dens under human structures like decks, if they find a good spot.

It’s important to note that animals who enter torpor can indeed wake up! This could be to avoid danger or to feed. Sometimes conditions precipitated by climate change, like early melts or unseasonal rainfall due to changing temperatures, can also end torpor too early.

adobestock_306572498

What to do if you encounter a bear

When visiting a park or green space where there are bears, be mindful that you are a guest entering their home. Be aware of your surroundings and where they might be. 

Do not, under any circumstances, feed wild animals. Eating human food can cause bears to lose their preference for natural food sources, or they can lose their fear of humans. This can lead to bears returning to human areas, which is dangerous for bears and people alike.

Tips to avoid bear encounters

One of the most effective ways to reduce the chance of human-bear encounters is to change human behaviour and be bear wise.

  • Clean outdoor BBQ grills after each use, including the grease trap.
  • Keep dogs on a leash to reduce the potential for an unwanted interaction with a bear.
  • Don’t leave pet food outdoors, in screened-in areas, or on porches.
  • Ensure garbage is stored in clean waste containers with tight-fitting lids.
  • Wash garbage, recycling, and organic containers and lids often. Use a strong-smelling disinfectant to reduce odours that may appeal to wildlife
  • Avoid putting your garbage, recycling, and green carts out the night before collection. Wait for the morning of your pickup day.
  • Clean up fallen fruit from any fruit trees.
  • Seal off spots on your property that might look attractive to bears for denning.

If you encounter a bear…

  • Do not approach. Drop any food you are carrying and walk calmly (back away slowly) towards the nearest building and go inside.
  • Continue to observe the bear until it leaves.
  • Once the bear leaves, remove any attractants from your property to prevent future encounters.
  • Report the sighting to Report-a-Bear: 705-674-4455, ext. 2327 (BEAR) or [email protected].
  • In non-emergency situations, you can also report the bear to the Ministry of Natural Resources’ Bear Wise phone line: 1-866-514-2327

Most bear sightings are not an emergency situation, but if a bear poses an immediate threat to personal or public safety by exhibiting threatening or aggressive behaviour, call 911.

adobestock_292587529

The importance of Indigenous knowledge

In Indigenous communities, the bear (mukwa) has special cultural and spiritual significance, and is associated with healing, courage, and protection. Bears are regarded with a high level of respect, not fear. In the Anishinaabe culture specifically, members of the Bear Clan are part of the protectors of the community and are known for their deep medicinal knowledge. 

There is much to learn from Traditional Knowledge and Indigenous-guided conservation of black bears, where the focus often centres on coexistence. Teachings to those who visit parks, for example, often highlight the importance of being bear conscious, so both animals and people remain safe.

How you can help

1. Support research and protection programs of our local forests.

2. Reduce greenhouse gas emissions to help combat climate change.

3. Support the implementation of the City of Greater Sudbury’s Community Climate Change Adaptation Plan, which seeks to protect and regulate the use of existing natural spaces.

Learn more about the City of Greater Sudbury and its commitment to reducing greenhouse gases and helping the community achieve its net-zero goal by 2050.

If you have a project you’d like the City to highlight, contact Jennifer Babin-Fenske at [email protected].

Resources