HALIFAX -- Run-ins with bears seem to be on the rise in Nova Scotia.
“It’s very concerning,” says Dartmouth resident, Anthony Bishop.
Bishop was leaving for work around 4:00 a.m. on Tuesday when he encountered a bear on his front step.
“We have three little dogs and there's a bunch of kids in the neighbourhood so, safety is obviously a concern for us,” says Bishop.
According to wildlife officials, mother bears and their cubs are on the hunt for food this time of year.
“In the last four days, black bear calls have increased significantly around the Halifax area. Communities Montebello, Port Wallace, Prospect, Fall River,” says Butch Galvez, a wildlife technician with the province of Nova Scotia.
Despite the increase, Galvez says most bear sightings happen in June. Attacks on humans, however, are extremely rare – even from a mother with cubs.
Galvez says homeowners should make sure their green bins are clean and take down bird feeders if bears are present.
He added all sightings should be reported to the local lands and forestry office.
