By Ashley Thompson
THE HANTS JOURNAL
NovaNewsNow.com
An upper Falmouth resident could barely believe what he saw outside his window at 7:30 a.m. on Aug. 11 – a plump black bear snacking on choke cherries in his backyard.
“He wasn’t hurting anything. Just having some breakfast,” recalled the man, who wishes to remain anonymous to prevent trappers from hunting on his property.
Janet Salter, a clerk at the Natural Resources office in Windsor, estimates she receives at least two phone calls a week reporting bear sightings in Hants County, mainly from people living in the upper Falmouth, Lakeland and Mount Uniacke areas.
Forestry technician Allan Bland says people who are lucky enough to catch a glimpse of a black bear wandering through the woods – while tucked safe inside a building or driving in a car – should not panic, but savour the moment.
“Not a lot of people get to see bears. Most of the time, bears are just looking for something to eat to fatten up for hibernation in the winter.”
Bland warns that once a black bear has found a reliable feeding place, it is likely to outstay its welcome. He says there are five common attractors that lure the scavengers out of the backwoods and into residential areas: garbage, green bins, barbeques, pet food and bird feeders.
“A bear’s sense of smell is five times stronger than a dog’s,” he explained. Reflecting on his 17 years of employment in Windsor’s natural resources sector, Bland says he’s never had a bad encounter with a black bear out in the wild and he’s never heard of one mauling someone in Nova Scotia.
“Most of the time they smell you coming and they’re outta there. It’s good to make a lot of noise, too.”
But, he admits, there have been maulings reported in other provinces as no one can predict how a wild animal is going to behave. He recommends carrying bear bells and spray when working in the woods, picking berries or taking nature hikes.
“Berry pickers have to remember that bears are after the same thing.” Bland says it is important to act calm and avoid sudden movements if ever you find yourself face-to-face with a black bear. Shrieking or running may startle the bear and, in turn, encourage the animal to give chase by triggering its animal instincts.
