Manitoba Conservation and Water Stewardship strongly urges the public not to feed bears at anytime, anywhere and to always Be Bear Smart.
The department receives over a dozen reports a year about food-conditioned bears or instances where bears are being fed by people. Bears do not become food-conditioned naturally as it is a learned behaviour and is frequently fatal for the bear.
Bears are wild animals and must be respected. Feeding bears is dangerous, as they may associate humans with food, leading them to roam near garbage dumps or highways. This puts bears and humans at greater risk of an encounter. Many experts say a fed bear is a dead bear.
Be Bear Smart is Manitoba’s education and awareness public-safety campaign designed to reduce conflict between humans and bears. The key to being bear smart is to eliminate or secure anything that may attract a bear including food, dirty dishes and garbage.
When in bear country, assume bears are in the vicinity even if no recent encounters have been reported. If you carry bear spray, keep it handy and know how to use it. Be aware of your surroundings, walk or jog in groups, make noise and do not use ear phones to listen to music.
More information on how to Be Bear Smart is available at www.manitoba.ca/blackbear.
