“Bear Encounters on the Rise in Thunder Bay”

Residents of Thunder Bay have been encountering more bears this year, with one local, Jeff Tiboni, stumbling upon a black bear feasting on apples in his neighbor’s yard. Tiboni attempted to deter the bear with a bear banger, but the bear quickly returned to the apple trees. The increase in bear sightings is attributed to the bears’ hyperphagia stage before hibernation, during which they consume up to 20,000 calories daily. Micheline Mamone from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources explained that fluctuations in natural food sources, like berries, acorns, and nuts, drive bears to seek food in residential areas. To prevent bear encounters, residents are advised to secure garbage, clean up fallen fruit from trees promptly, and take other precautions to eliminate attractants. If a bear is spotted, non-emergency encounters should be reported to the Bear Wise reporting line, while emergency situations should be reported to local authorities.