Although Andrea Wernham had heard about bears being in the area, she had never seen one before in the 12 years her family has lived in their home situated in the Telephone and Boyce roads area, on the border between Alnwick-Haldimand and Cramahe Townships.
That changed late on Monday night, May 30. At about 11:30 p.m. that night, loud noises were coming from outside the house that’s in a rural area. A look through the window that overlooks her back deck revealed the source of the sounds.
Wernham picks up the story.
“It was later in the night and I was in the house, in the bed and I heard a large noise on the back deck and I have heard of bear sightings in the area, due to the sounds and noises I was suspicious that maybe it could be a bear, so I just kind of had a peek out the window and I actually saw 2 bears, a younger bear was on the lawn area down below and the bigger bear was up on our back porch area,” she said.
The larger black bear, she said, had dislodged a bird feeder from a second storey level of the deck and was attempting to eat from the feeder.
While the bears were still on the grass and on the deck, Wernham grabbed her phone and took some photos that she posted to social media that night to warn others of bears being in the vicinity. Her social media post has so far garnered 50 comments and 304 shares.
She said her initial reaction to seeing the bears was excitement.
“I was actually kind of excited to see them, I do like wildlife and nature but, again, I know we don’t want them around houses. I do have pets and kids, but everyone was safe inside the house, so it was kind of neat to see them up close and they did startle our dog who barked and they took off and ran away,” she said.
By her estimate, they were on her property for about half an hour.
Although an avid birdwatcher who’s had no problems with having bird feeders on the property in previous years, she has no plans to put the feeders back out this year.
“I do like bird watching, I like having the birds around. Been in the location for 12 years now, have never had an issue with bears before. Moving forward knowing they’re around, obviously I’m not going to put the feeder back out because I don’t want to attract them or encourage them to come to the house,” she said. “But, yes, I think sometimes based on their local food sources, they have to keep looking for some other options, and obviously seeds are quite appealing.”
Upon closer inspection the next morning, Wernham said there was no damage to her property, other than the bird feeder being taken down and was emptied by about half.
Wernham said she’s heard that black bears tend to live in more northerly areas, but there are fluctuations in their range and territory from year to year, based on their ability to find food.
“I guess my question like others is are the numbers (of bears) actually increasing or is it that they’ve moved down to this region for a period of time so we’re seeing them a bit more frequently,” she said.
With more bears potentially in the area, Wernham said families with small children and pets may want to be a little more cautious this summer.
“It’s nice to see, but obviously we want to avoid contact with them, especially with pets or children. I think it’s best for everyone, knowing that they’re in the area, maybe do some extra precautions and keeping things out of the way that might otherwise attract them,” she said.
(Written by: Alan Rivett)
