Less MNRF staff to deal with increased bear calls, says union president

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry is feeling the frustration from residents across the northeast.

Despite the ministry's claim that the BearWise line received fewer calls than 2015, people who are dealing with wandering bears feel they're getting little help. Critics argue that when calls are made to the MNRF'sbearhotline nothingis done to help with the specific situation.

This inaction has led some residents take matters into their own hands.On Sept 24, a bear was shot in a residential neighbourhood inNew Sudbury.

• Critics: Bear calls going unanswered at Ministry of Natural Resources & Forestry
• Bear calls down in Sudbury this summer: MNRF, police

But the proper protocol for residents is to first call their municipalityor the police, said Len Sedore, president of OPSEU Local 623,the union that represents conservation officers and bear technicians in the Sudbury region.

"Those agencies can call the Ministry of Natural Resources with their bear tech program and get them involved," Sedore said."You should probably call the MNRF when you are dealing with problems that are on Crown land. Crown land would be land that`s not part of a municipality."

Budget cuts have left the ministry with fewer staff to assist with the calls, said Sedore. In the Sudbury region there are only two bear technicians who deal with bear calls.

The MNRF saidthey've poured millions of dollars into educating Ontario residents how to keep bears away, said ministry spokesperson Jolanta Kowalski.

"I think people just have to understand that we're there, we're doing the work that we can, we're assisting police in emergencies and we've done a ton of education, that sort of thing since the program started."

• One Sudbury family thought they were 'Bear-Wise', yet a bear went to extreme measures to get at their garbage

Kowalski saidthe MNRFno longer traps and relocates problem bears, except in exceptional circumstances and at the request of police.

"Trapping and relocating was always our least effective tool to manage problem bears", said Kowalksi. She added that research confirmed the relocated bearswould return to the area from which they were removed.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry has provided a list to assess whether an emergency call should be placed or not.

Emergency Situations

Call 911 or your local police force if a black bear poses an immediate threat to personal safety by exhibiting threatening or aggressive behaviour, such as:

• Entering a school yard when school is in session
• Stalking people and lingering on site
• Entering or trying to enter a residence
• Wandering into a public gathering
• Killing livestock/pets and lingering on site.

Non-Emergency Encounters

Call the toll-free Bear Wise reporting line at 1-866-514-2327 (TTY 705-945-7641) if a black bear is:

• Roaming around, checking garbage cans
• Breaking into a shed where garbage or food is stored
• In a tree
• Pulling down a bird feeder or knocking over a barbecue
• Moving through a backyard or field but is not lingering