More bear sightings in town
One grizzly spotted, another shot last week
Meagan Leonard
Northern News Services
Thursday, July 2, 2015
INUVIK
One bear was spotted and another destroyed last week as the number of animals entering town limits continues to increase.
Taxi driver Osman Hamid points to the location on Bonnetplume Road where he saw a grizzly bear running down the street during the early hours of June 18. - Meagan Leonard/NNSL photo
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June 19 was a typical night shift for United Taxi driver Osman Hamid until 2:30 a.m. when he dropped off a customer and things started to get a little strange.
As he was driving down Dolphin Street, Hamid said he saw a man walking down Kugmallit Road - rubbing his eyes, he had to look twice at what was following behind.
"I saw a guy walking and right behind him, I saw a bear," he recalled.
"I thought maybe somebody was just dressed up like a bear trying to scare or tease him."
Hamid said when the animal saw his vehicle, it became frightened and changed direction, taking off down Bonnetplume Road. It was then he took the video that has already garnered more than 17,000 views online.
"I was excited to see a wild animal, but at the same time it's pretty (freaky)," he said.
"I love to see wild animals, but not in town - especially grizzlies because I know it's dangerous."
During the remainder of his shift, Hamid drove cautiously and offered those outside walking a ride home.
"I saw a couple guys walking around and I offered to give them a ride because there was a bear around," he said.
For Kyle Ittunga, the walk home from visiting a friend was nothing out of the ordinary. He told the Inuvik Drum he had no idea a bear was following him until Hamid contacted him the next day.
"I was very lucky," he said.
"I was told it was kind of pouncing toward me about three or four metres behind me and I had my music going ... I had no idea."
He said he is not sure how he would have reacted if he had come face-to-face with the grizzly.
"I've heard about bears in town, but I've never actually seen a bear before," he said.
"I've been instructed to just hold your arms out and yell as loud as you can."
Judy Mclinton, the spokesperson for the Department of the Environment and Natural Resources (ENR), confirmed a renewable resource officer responded to the bear sighting, but was unable to locate the animal as it had already been scared out of town. She said patrols have been increased.
"Officers patrolled the area (June 19), especially during school dismissal and after lunch when children are walking to and from school," she said.
"ENR has increased patrols in the community because of concerns about bear sightings. The on-call officer will also be doing extra patrols during the night."
On June 20, she said another grizzly was destroyed at approximately 4:50 a.m. near the Home Hardware store on Franklin Road, but it was not the same bear witnessed the previous night. She said it was first spotted at the boat launch and monitored for the next several hours.
"The renewable resource officer spotted the bear several times behind the Arctic Rims Sports store trying to cross the road to get into the garbage bin," she explained.
"The bear's condition seemed poor."
She said the bear was chased away a few times throughout the night but when it reappeared near Home Hardware, it was deemed a risk to public safety.
Weledeh MLA Bob Bromley says bears typically only enter populated areas if they are unable to find food in their natural habitat. He says the warming climate is a factor in the availability of food for some animals and therefore their behaviour is changing.
"Ninty-nine per cent of the time, that's what's happening," he explained.
"They're probably looking for some high protein food. Some sort of meat waste ... if they've been showing an interest in people that's not a good sign."
While destroying animals is not the ideal solution, Bromley says relocation can be costly and is often times ineffective as many bears will wander back again.
"They would have to move them probably 100 kilometres or something like that so that's an expensive operation," he said.
"With bears they think are habituated or are going to be a problem to people, they probably take the high road and dispose of them rather than risk releasing them."
As a rule, bears avoid people but when cornered, threatened or wounded, there is potential for an attack; however many charges are bluffs and bears typically will veer to the side at the last minute. According to ENR's safety guidelines, chemical repellent should only be used at close range and if contact is unavoidable - shoot to kill.
