Prince Albert National Park wants to remind people to properly store food to prevent attracting bears. (submitted phot/Lisa Risom Parks Canada)

By Michael Joel-Hansen

Being Bear Aware

Bear safety urged in P.A. National Park

Jul 23, 2019 | 3:08 PM

Prince Albert National Park wants to remind visitors about being safe around bears.

The population numbers of American Black Bears, the only species in the park, are healthy. The population numbers are due to food sources and good hibernation conditions.

According to Kevin Ferrie, visitor safety coordinator with the park, visitors need to be mindful of the bear population and should store food properly.

“Anything with an odour can attract the bears in,” he said.

Specifically, Ferrie recommends people store scented items like pet food indoors or in vehicles. Ferrie said people who plan to head out for a hike on the park’s trails need to remember to take steps to keep themselves safe also. This includes going out in groups and also carrying bear spray, while making plenty of noise and giving a bear the right of way if you come across one.

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“If they hear you coming they’ll often get out of your way,” Ferrie said.

Generally conflict will arise if people surprise a bear, which can lead to an animal huffing or bluff charging. Ferrie explained bears generally cannot see very well and rely on their sense of smell to identify other living things. He added a bear standing up on its hind legs is not always a sign of aggression as they may just be trying to identify you.

Along with these precautions, Ferrie stressed it is important for people to not feed bears or other wild animals. Ferrie said this can have real negative consequences, which can lead to the bears needing to be relocated or destroyed.

“If they start learning that begging for food is their best option, sooner or later they’re going to end up not faring so well,” he said.

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MichaelJoel.Hansen@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @mjhskcdn