SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - As of yesterday, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (ENR) has not received yet any reports of bear sightings in or near Yellowknife this year, a department spokesperson said.

No bears have been sighted in Yellowknife as of Friday, according to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. - NNSL file photo

"We haven't received any calls yet," said Fred Mandeville, manager of wildlife and environment for the North Slave Region.

In 2009, ENR received 12 to 18 calls about bears sighted in Yellowknife, though Mandeville pointed out that in some cases, the same bear accounted for several of the calls. That number is above the average of reports received by the department every year.

While unsure of precisely how many Yellowknife reports ENR received in 2008, it was under 12, said Mandeville.

Bears have already appeared in another region of the NWT this year. As of April 23, there were two confirmed sightings near Fort Simpson - two bears at the recycling depot and another at the dump, according to Dough Villeneuve, manager of wildlife and environment for the Dehcho region.

While bears usually become active in May, it's not unusual for them to come out of hibernation in April, said Villeneuve - an observation Mandeville concurred with.

"I've seen bears in (mid-April) just on my own travels and on the job," said Mandeville. He added the early onrush of spring may spur some bears to come out of hibernation early.

"They're looking for food," he said.

According to bear safety material published by the GNWT, while there is no guaranteed formula for reacting to a bear given the unique nature of each encounter, there are some things people can do to avoid a confrontation.

These include: staying still and calm; staying upwind so the bear can identify you as a human being; not running away; talking in low tones; slowly waving one's arms; and leaving the bear an open avenue of escape.

"Just leave the bear alone," said Mandeville.

Black bears are the most common type of bear living the area, though Mandeville said some grizzlies are occasionally spotted closer to fall.