After a bumper crop of berries helped to keep them out during the summer, improperly stored garbage and leftover fruit is luring bears into the city for the fall.
"Since we're getting a little bit closer to winter time, they're going to start fattening up. So the issue that we're having is unsecured attractants," said conservation officer James Brady.
Live traps have been set up in College Heights after what may be a pair of black bears have overstayed their welcome.
"These bears appear to be more in one end of the College Heights area and we were hoping they would start going into the woods a bit more," said Brady. Instead of leaving, however, they've gone to another part of the neighbourhood to find more unsecured garbage.
Brady encourages residents to call the Report All Poachers and Polluters line (RAPP) at 1-877-952-7277 if bears are spotted in urban areas. This helps the Conservation Officer Service not only track the animals to see if they're becoming habituated, but also provide education to residents who may unwittingly be attracting bears.
In addition to garbage - which should be secured in a garage or shed or inside a bin with a tied-down lid - other food stuffs are also a bear lure.
"Even mountain ash (apples); they're a little bit harder to pick but the bigger the bush the longer the bear will stay and start eating it," said Brady.
This summer, the Northern Bear Awareness Society took their Fruit Exchange Program to Facebook where residents could easily find a home for the excess fruit removed from their trees.
Bird seed and barbecues are also bringing bears close to homes.
"We've been getting calls, too, around bears on people's decks," said James, who recommended running the barbecue at a very high heat after grilling to help burn off some of the scent.
Keeping things attractive to bears secured helps keep the entire neighbourhood safe, said Brady, as the animals will simply move on if they don't find anything worth their time.
"Like any animal, once it's rewarded it knows that and it's going to keep going for those rewards," said Brady.
