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Home My WebLink AboutHuron Expositor, 2009-09-16, Page 11The Huron Expositor • September 16, 2009 Page 11 News MNR says Huron County needs to learn to live with bears Cheryl Heath Chances are Huron County's bear population sign would read one. That fact alone is giving at least one lakeshore cottager pause for con- cern with regard to her safety. And that cottager's letter to coun- cil was part of the reason Huron County Council imdited a Ministry of Natural Resources official to its chambers Wednesday, in order to as- certain whether the bear is a rogue to be wary of or more akin to a tour- ist -friendly photo op. The answer, according to Mike Malhiot, is more the latter option than the former. Indeed, said Malhiot, it appears Huron County's lone bear is of the teenaged variety and is likely only prowling around these parts in search of raspberries and bees and not, as some fear, a human to munch on. As Malhiot told it, though Holly- wood will often depict bears as rav- enous predators, the truth is a teddy bear's picnic would be more likely to earn a G rating. That is not to say, reported Mal- hiot, that residents should try and make nice with bears. Instead, said Malhiot, caution is the rule and by following the basic steps of the province's Bearwise pro- gram, which includes common-sense guidelines like properly sealing gar- bage containers. • "There are ways olive with them," said Malhiot. As to whether the Ministry can be expected to come out with dart guns ablazing every time a bear is spot- ted, the short answer is no. Indeed, said Malhiot, thanks to the new biodiversity -driven legislation the province's goal is for wildlife and humans to peacefully coexist rath- er than outright eradication of any creature feared to 'be a predator. Pointing to the example of the hon- eybee population collapsing and its subsequent impact on the pollination of 80 per cent of human -food sources, Malhiot said people must employ practices that allow them to peace- fully coexist with other species. Further, he noted, the Endangered Species Act is designed to protect any plant or animal life threatened by human activity and it is possible for bears to fall under that legisla- tion. Historically, noted Malhiot, bears called Huron County home and it was only development that pushed them to farther environs like Bruce County, which has been a known home to black bears. As it stands, said Malhiot, Huron County provides a suitable habitat for the creature ince there is food for foraging as well as adequate for- est cover in some regions, particular • - ly along the Maitland River where at least one bear sighting has been re- ported. Nonetheless, said Malhiot, it is the MNR's belief Huron County is home to only one bear that likely arrived here after leaving his mother and be- ing pushed out by adult male bears that are territorial. That being said, said Malhiot, it is possible the teenaged bear will make Huron County his permanent home, and it is also likely other bears will migrate this way. It is for that reason, said Malhiot, that preventative measures rather than knee-jerk reactionary ones should be made when bears are spot- ted. He added that it falls within they OPP's purview to handle aggressive bears while the MNR deals with nui- sance bears, deemed as those that repeatedly return to a given property due to its abundance of food sources. "Everything they do is related to food," said Malhiot, noting refrain- ing from leaving food scraps around properties would best . serve those fearful of bears. Further, said Malhiot, it's impor- tant for people to remember bears are just as fearful of two -legged ani- mals. "In reality, bears usually run away from us," he said, adding the only way bears lose that fear is from re- peated exposure to humankind. "It's easy to live with bears as long as we don't feed them." Coun. Dave Johnston (Bluewater) said his concern is for children play- ing in farm fields or along the shore- line could be injured because they are unaware of the rules of dealing with bears. Noting he is a hunter who has had close encounters of the bear kind, Johnston said he is especially wor- ried about the possibility of children coming between a mother bear and her cubs. "Whatever you do, don't get be- tween a sow and its cub," he said. Malhiot noted Huron County's bear is believed to be a male or pos- sibly a couple of males given the vast geography covered in the sightings. Though, he added, there is the pos- sibility a mother bear could move to this region in the future. Coun. Neil Rintoul (Ashfield Col- borne Wawanosh) questioned wheth- er the province's elimination of the spring bear hunt has led to an explo- sion in the bear population. Malhiot said there is no proven link between the two events and that increased sightings are more likely connected to poor blueberry crops this season. Meanwhile, Coun. Dorothy Kel- ly's (Morris Turnberryuery as to whether Bearwise programs will be presented in area schools was met with a question mark. Malhiot said the local MNR office is immersing itself in bear=related issues for the first time and is receiv- ing assistance from its neighbouring bear -savvy offices. County planner Scott Tousaw questioned whether the local MNR would follow Bruce County's lead with regard to an . incident in To- bermory where a bear found in the cookies at a local bakery was Protect Your Pet and Your Family s25 Low Cost Rabies Vaccination Animal vaccination at these; nudes GST, certificate and tags Blyth Veterinary Services St. Helen's Community Hall 234 Queen Street South, Blyth Seaforth Animal Hospital 80205 North Line, Seaforth September 24th 1 pm -4 pm September 26th 9 am -12 pm September 26th 9 am -12 pm Thames Road Veterinary Clinic 74 Thames Road West, Exeter September 26th 10 am -2 pm Wingham Veterinary Clinic 11 Alfred Street East, Wingham September 26"' 9 am -12 pm Zurich Veterinary Clinic 20 Main Street East, Zurich September 26th 8:30 am -12 pm • Clinics are for cats and dogs over three rnonths of age. • Please have your pets on leashes or in carrying cages. • These low cost clinics provide Rabies Vaccination only. • No other treatment will be available. Sponsored by Huron County Health Unit and the above Huron County Veterinary Clinics. Help control the spread of rabies virus. tranquilized and a tooth - "I'm pre- suming it was his sweet tooth" - was removed. Malhiot said the MNR would likely be called in to tranquilize the bear in that kind of scenario. Noting he is more concerned with the proliferation of raccoons, skunks and opossums, Coun. Bill Siemon (Huron East) questioned whether the MNR would push for changes to legislation so that residents can kill the creatures that are wiping out the region's songbird population. "They're not controlled any more," said Siemon. "I don't have a good answer to that question," said Malhiot, noting, how- ever, that property owners do have a right to destroy animals that are a nuisance. Those spotting bears are encour- aged to report sightings to the MNR at 1$66 514-2327. In the event of an emergency, dial 911. 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