Yellowknife (May 16/03) - The bears are back and Yellowknifers should be a little more cautious while exploring the bush this time of year.

Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development received the first bear sighting report of the season earlier this week.

- If you encounter a bear you should stop, stand still, talk in low tones, stay calm, assess the situation. Don't shout or make sudden movements and avoid eye contact. - If you run, the bear may chase you. Don't run unless you are sure you can reach a safe place before the bear. - Leave the bear an open avenue of escape and don't come between it and its cubs. - If you see a bear in the distance, alert it to your presence. Quietly walk back the way you came or make a wide detour around it.

Two people camped near Martin Lake spotted a mother bear with two cubs several times over the weekend.

At one point they had to fire a shotgun twice to ward the bear off.

Raymond Bourget, senior wildlife officer with RWED, said it was the first bear he'd heard about this year.

"It's been kind of a slow start," he said. "We usually, by this time of year, have a few reports."

Wildlife officers posted a sign at the head of the trail by Martin Lake and will continue to monitor the situation and notify the public as needed, Bourget said.

"That's all we can really do at this point," he said.

"The problem with bears is that they move around so much you can go out there and see nothing then someone half an hour later goes out and sees one."

He said RWED just received another report of a bear crossing Highway 3.

"Anywhere in the North Slave region it is a common sight to see bears. Even in the city is not uncommon," he said. "They're all over the place."

With the warm weather, bears are coming out of hibernation for the season and will likely be out in numbers.

"The males would have come out in April and the females are out in early May with their cubs so they should be all out of their dens wandering around by now."