Manitoba's black bear population is estimated to be as high as 30,000 bears, and this May -- Manitobans are getting their share of encounters.
Bear activity has put people on alert in at least four different recent cases.
REPORT OF GOATS TAKEN
A couple in the RM of Springfield said two pet goats were killed by a bear. It happened earlier this month on a property on Springfield Road near Anola.
Two goats were taken about a week ago, a provincial spokesperson said in an email to CTV Winnipeg Sunday.
“Sustainable Development has a report that two goats were taken by what is suspected to be a bear,” the spokesperson said.
“Two bear culvert traps have been set up. To date no animal has been captured or observed. These occurrences are not out of the ordinary,” the spokesperson added.
"It's just one of those things, unpredictable. That's what they say about bears. They’re unpredictable," said Shirley Johnston, who lives down street from where one of the traps was set up.
Bear researcher David Walker doesn't think hunger alone would motive a bear to kill a goat.
Walker said there's been lots of greenery for bears to eat, and the animals are known to go after caribou, moose and deer calves.
"Bears in the spring will look for those sorts of opportunities and it might just have been an instinctual misfire. It saw a small goat, thought it was a small deer, but it's unusual,” said Walker, an associate professor in the department of environment and geography at the University of Manitoba.
After 40 years in the country, Johnston said she hasn't had any problems with bears, but said if a potentially dangerous one is nearby, she's thankful to know about it.
"You do not know what they will do, so just be aware," Johnston said.
BEAR CLIMBS TREE IN SOUTH WINNIPEG
In south Winnipeg Saturday, bear activity was welcomed by some neighbors.
A large black bear climbed its way high up a tree on a private property.
“It’s like a novelty. It was kind of a fun episode,” said Michael Seaman, who lives down the street from the property on Christie Road and saw the bear.
The bear was so high, conversation officers didn't have equipment to bring it down and stood by to ensure safety.
“I was thinking any animal that can crawl that high into a tree must have some serious muscle,” said Seaman.
A provincial spokesperson said the bear came down on its own and there is no sign of it in the area.
Further east, about two weeks ago in the RM of Taché, Kim Windross said she startled a bear in the back of her truck. Windross snapped a photo of her hand beside a paw print after it took off.
Conservation officers also trapped and moved a bear earlier this month near Selkirk.
BEAR ENCOUNTERS AND SAFETY
Manitoba's wildlife branch said online each bear encounter is unique. If you spot a bear, experts advise to stay calm, never approach the bear, never feed it, and never run unless safety is guaranteed.
As a reminder, the province said when in bear country, remove items that can attract bears, including bird feeders, barbeques, garbage and fruit from trees.
