What a surprise to see a bear in the backyard!

Don't feed them!

We had a bear amble by while we were eating dinner! There was a bear attack, when we lived there. They are very rare and they usually avoid humans. In all my forest walks I'd never seen one either here, in Lanark County, or in Muskoka. You just have to act like a human, they tell us. You should be bear wise in rural Canada.

Bear scat Lake Superior Park

This was a male cub, and I'm glad there wasn't any bird seed left. They have cut bear programs at the MNR, and they don't capture and remove them any more. Tourists just have to stop leaving garbage out! They are attracted to all kinds of food. You can see their food cycle here.
I've never seen one around here before, although we've seen signs of them! All cats were in, thankfully, as Daisy & Buster like to charge the deer and the turkeys. Their rear paws look like human feet. The scat is HUGE!

Ironically, it walked right by the 'bear crossing' sign!
TO REPORT BEAR PROBLEMS: contact the Bear Reporting Line at:
1-866-514-2327  (TTY) 705 945-7641

In a life-threatening emergency, call your local police or 911.

My bear sign!

Backyard bear from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.
We had just sat down to dinner. I'm glad all of the cats were in, as they tend to charge the deer and chase the turkeys. I don't know WHAT they would do if they saw a bear. Buster was in the Muskoka room watching.

Left: Density of Bears in Ontario MapMiddle: Annual Bear Food Cycle Right: General Comparison of reproductive potential of big game species in Ontario

More...

Black Bear Ecology - Teacher Guides

With a focus on the fascinating world of black bears, this program provides teachers with a classroom ready resource. More...

Prevent encounters:

• In Your Neighbourhood
• At The Cottage
• While Enjoying The Outdoors

Learn about black bears:

• In Southern Ontario
• Biology

Perth's Maplefest 2013

It's the annual Festival of the Maples. It was cool and rainy, but that didn't matter at all.
It was the usual suspects: fishing for prizes, petting zoos, pony rides, and EMS crews showing off their stuff!

jaws of life!

We have volunteer firefighters, as do many rural towns. They took apart a car.

There was a lot of music, too!

nothing better than a hot dog

Max Keeping was there!

our family

Mica Festival begins soon.

Brock, a MPP employee, with entertainment!

watching the sheep shearing!

     

More signs of spring!

Daisy loves her frog pond

I took the cats for walkies in the forest. We went down to the frog pond. It teems with life.

Smiths Falls flowers

after walkies we went to the backyard

love those colours!

lilac buds

one scolds from above

tree frog egg hatched 

amazing - this will be a tree frog!

look who else is up and about!

Buster and I rested on the front porch