Police asking public to help prevent return of 'desperate' black bears

With the arrival of spring, bear calls to police and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry likely aren't far behind.

Police say this year's mild winter means the bears are coming out of hibernation early

OPP spokesperson Sergeant Peter Leon says he hasn't heard of any bear reports yet from officers.

But he says he has no doubt the bears are hungry and they're going to be looking for food.

"Bears are very smart animals," Leon said. "They will return to an area where they have had a source of food in the past."

Leon said at this time of year, fresh from hibernation, bears are "desperate" as they search for food.

"With snow still melting, the ground cover isn't there for them," he said. "The nutrition is not available. So they're going to look to other means."

Leon says a bear that enters a populated area isn't necessarily a threat.

But if a bear is posing an immediate threat to public safety by exhibiting threatening or aggressive behaviour, people should call 911 or local police.

For non-emergency situations, the bear-wise reporting line went back into operation on April 1.

Visit the Bearwise website here