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Bear spotted in Yellowknife
Young black bruin seen near Jackfish Lake, the dump and Old Airport Road

John McFadden
Northern News Services
Wednesday, August 2, 2017

SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
A young black bear has been spotted wandering around Yellowknife over the past few days.

NNSL photograph

A bear trap remains on standby at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources compound yesterday in Old Town, after bear sightings in the city over the weekend. - photo courtesy of Lee Mandeville/Department of Environment and Natural Resources

According to Adrian Lizotte, manager of wildlife for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources - North Slave region, the bear was most recently seen Monday morning near Jackfish Lake and the dump.

On Sunday, it is believed the same bear was spotted on Old Airport Road near Bristol Pit. As well, fresh bear scat was found in the Tin Can Hill area over the weekend.

"It looked like ... a yearling - one- to two-years old," he said.

"It was in the wrong place. Probably just curious. It's not likely with a mother bear."

Lizotte said unless they get real-time information on the bear's whereabouts there is no point in setting a trap.

"If we see the bear and it is continuously going into one area - then we'd like to catch it and relocate it," he said.

"We do have a helicopter. If the bear is on the outskirts of the community we can use the helicopter to track it or push it outside of the city limits."

Lizotte said priority number one for the department is the safety of the public, adding resource officers have the bear's well-being in mind as well.

He said trying to shoot a bear with a tranquilizer dart within the city limits can be tricky.

"There are definitely downsides to that," he said. "The drugs could take five to 10 minutes to work - agitating the bear. Whomever is using the firearm could miss - then you have to locate the dart."

As it is right now, the department is not warning people to avoid Tin Can Hill. For now, his advice is to keep dogs on leashes, walk with another person and make as much noise as possible while in the area.

"This bear is very skittish," he said.

"Bears as just as scared of us as we are of them. If you do see a bear, just walk away. If you see a bear looking at you just stop and make yourself as big as you can. Make noise and slowly walk back from the direction you came."

Bear spray does work and so do bear bangers - a portable noise maker designed to scare bears away - or even an air horn.

In case of attack, Lizotte said to fight back as hard as possible and try to punch it in the snout.

Jamie Stringer saw the bear with his own eyes Sunday near Bristol Pitt.

"My dog spotted it standing in the middle of the road long before I could identify it," he stated via Facebook message.

"And then when I realized it was a bear I immediately pulled to the side of the road in hopes that I could get a few photos. It became scared and ran away quickly before I could get any real good photos."

Stringer said he's lived in Yellowknife his entire life and this is the first time he's ever seen a bear within city limits.

In the spring of 2001, Yellowknife resident Kyle Harry, 18, died in a black bear attack near the Prosperous Lake boat launch. He was camping at the time. The bear was eventually tracked down and killed by wildlife officials.

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