Chapleau residents are being urged to take "necessary steps" to avoid attracting bears, after recent sightings in town.
Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry says there have been "numerous" sightings in Chapleau "in the past several weeks" - though it notes a single bear can lead to multiple sightings - with many of the recent sightings involving items such as garbage and fruit trees, prompting a reminder for residents to remove attractants such as garbage, bird feeders, ripe fruit, and odours from barbecues.
The Ministry notes "natural foods for bears in this area are slowly developing but are not abundant", which leads bears to search for alternative food sources - often in communities - but they won't stay in an area if they can't gain access to non-natural foods like garbage.
Anyone who sees a bear can contact the province's Bear Wise reporting line at 1-866-514-2327 - police or 9-1-1 should only be called if it poses an immediate threat to public safety by exhibiting threatening or aggressive behaviour.