The bear necessities
Black bear spotted in backyard on Ottawa St. Photo by Terri Reisig
Sightings of a black bear roaming in various backyards within village limits has prompted village officials to request that residents refrain from bird-feeding for about 45 days, to facilitate a change in the bear’s foraging pattern.
“The bear has been at our bird feeders knocking them down for two nights. Last night we took the feeders inside, but it came back again and knocked down all our poles,” said local resident Greg Reisig.
“Nuisance bears” will return countless time to suburban environments once they have found a food source, which can include trash, grills, bird feeders and pet food.
Bears are not usually aggressive unless threatened or surprised, but “once a bear becomes comfortable near humans, this results in a poor outcome for the bear,” says Caroline Kennedy, Assistant Village Manager, who advises residents to make sure bird-feed and other temptations are not left outdoors. “The DNR will not take action unless the bear is a threat, so the best way to help the bear is to eliminate any food source,” she explains.
Preventing conflicts with bears at home
Remove potential food sources, like bird feeders, from your yard. Do not feed the birds in the spring, summer and fall, when bears are most active.
Keep pet food inside or in a secure area.
Keep garbage and odor at a minimum by removing trash often and cleaning container with disinfectant.
Keep garbage in a secured area or in a secured container with a metal, lockable lid until disposal.
Keep grills and picnic tables clean.
Apiaries (beehives) fruit trees, and gardens can be protected from bears by electric fencing.
And finally, black bears are generally fearful of humans and will leave if they are aware of your presence. If you encounter a bear, be SMART and...
S – Stand your ground. Do not run or play dead.
M – Make loud noises and back away slowly.
A – Always provide a clear, unobstructed escape route for the bear.
R – Rarely do bears attack, if they do, fight back.
T – Treat bears with respect and observe them from a distance.
Source: DNR, Michigan.gov
“The bear has been at our bird feeders knocking them down for two nights. Last night we took the feeders inside, but it came back again and knocked down all our poles,” said local resident Greg Reisig.
“Nuisance bears” will return countless time to suburban environments once they have found a food source, which can include trash, grills, bird feeders and pet food.
Bears are not usually aggressive unless threatened or surprised, but “once a bear becomes comfortable near humans, this results in a poor outcome for the bear,” says Caroline Kennedy, Assistant Village Manager, who advises residents to make sure bird-feed and other temptations are not left outdoors. “The DNR will not take action unless the bear is a threat, so the best way to help the bear is to eliminate any food source,” she explains.
Preventing conflicts with bears at home
Remove potential food sources, like bird feeders, from your yard. Do not feed the birds in the spring, summer and fall, when bears are most active.
Keep pet food inside or in a secure area.
Keep garbage and odor at a minimum by removing trash often and cleaning container with disinfectant.
Keep garbage in a secured area or in a secured container with a metal, lockable lid until disposal.
Keep grills and picnic tables clean.
Apiaries (beehives) fruit trees, and gardens can be protected from bears by electric fencing.
And finally, black bears are generally fearful of humans and will leave if they are aware of your presence. If you encounter a bear, be SMART and...
S – Stand your ground. Do not run or play dead.
M – Make loud noises and back away slowly.
A – Always provide a clear, unobstructed escape route for the bear.
R – Rarely do bears attack, if they do, fight back.
T – Treat bears with respect and observe them from a distance.
Source: DNR, Michigan.gov
| ern-2019_1010_a01.pdf |