Hey, Boo Boo? What have you got in that pic-a-nic basket? While that may bring back fond memories of Yogi the Bear in the cartoons we all grew up with or watched with our children, picnic baskets were not the food of choice for local bears in recent weeks. Brian Meyers of Kenosee Lake was the first to report a bear sighting and take photographs of a black bear snacking on the bird and squirrel feeders in their yard, during the wee hours of May 16, 2019. This was quickly followed by the sighting of a black bear in the early evening of May 18 on Okadoca St in the village of Kenosee. While Conservation Officers attended, the fate of the bear has not been confirmed at the time this paper went to press.
On May 22, Jack Toothill was watching the evening news when he spotted a bear wandering about the front yard of his cottage at Cannington Lake. He quickly snapped some pictures and called the conservation officers to report the visitor. There is no doubt that this bear is not the same one spotted in Kenosee, given that it is a cinnamon colour, but it did to share the same taste for bird seed. According to Toothill the bear has since been captured and transported to a less populated area.
There appears to be no doubt that there are bears in them thar hills, as yet another was spotted ln the ditch along the highway near White Bear Lake Resort Tuesday, before turning back into the woods. It would appear that either there is an abundance of wildlife this year, or people are just paying more attention, but either way, be careful out there as the warm weather brings out more than just people to enjoy the great outdoors.
