One of several bears spotted recently near Muskoday First Nation. (Submitted photo/Michelle Vandevord)

By Brady Bateman

Staying Bear-Aware

Muskoday First Nation reminded to stay bear aware

Jun 3, 2019 | 1:05 PM

Residents of the Muskoday First Nation are being urged to use caution while spending time outdoors, as numerous bears have been spotted In the community in recent days.

Although no negative interactions between animals and people have been reported at this time, residents are encouraged to report any sightings to pest control officers, and to avoid interacting with bears as much as possible.

Dennis Sorensen, pest control officer with Muskoday told paNOW about the recent sightings.

“There have been a few sightings recently, there was one that someone saw near the Elders Lodge, the bear was running by the river,” said Sorensen.

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“That bear has been seen near the health centre as well. So far there have been about six or seven sightings that I’ve heard of. We have heard of one mother bear with cubs, and we have also heard of a younger male bear roaming around.”

Sorensen noted that anyone who sees a bear should immediately call pest control to help deal with the animal and advised residents to be mindful about not leaving garbage or food in accessible areas, and for parents to monitor children while playing outside.

“People can reach me at 306-981-1853 if they see anything. Keep away from them as much as possible, don’t try and feed them and make sure you are putting away any garbage because they will try to get into it,” Sorensen said.

“It’s going to be a nice summer, so I just want everyone to do their best to stay as safe as possible.”

The problem of bears in the area hits close to home for Muskoday First Nation resident Michelle Vandevord, who’s daughter recently saw a bear near the family’s yard.

(Submitted photo/Michelle Vandevord)

“My daughter told me to be careful in the backyard, because she had just seen a bear walking close by, so my spouse and myself jumped in our vehicle to see if we could find it and sure enough we found it walking right by the Health Centre,” said Vandevord.

“It looked like a smaller one that someone had seen a few days before up the hill, so it sounds like it’s getting around quite a bit. It’s scary that it’s in the residential areas around families and our houses.”

Vandevord said the spotting o bears was a familiar site due to the proximity of the river.

“This is normal, it’s the second time I’ve had one in my yard. But it seems like we are starting to see more and more of them,” Vandevord added.

“We’re just concerned about the children. There is always a lot of kids walking from the village to the school because it’s one of the main playgrounds and that is right where the bear was, so that’s a bit scary.”

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Brady.bateman@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @TheDigitalBirdy