Sault Ste. Marie Police report 2 bear attacks in 4 days

Sault Ste. Marie Police say two people have been attacked by bears in the city since Friday.

On Monday around 12:20 p.m., police say a woman was walking her dog off leash on Old Garden River Road. The woman and her dog inadvertently came between three bear cubs that were in the area. Police say once that happened, a mother bear became aggressive and charged at the woman.

Police say her dog, a German Shepherd, then went after the bear, allowing her time to escape the area. Police say the dog has life threatening injuries. The bear stayed in the area.

On Friday night in a separate area of the city, police say a different woman was walking her dog Old Goulais Bay Road around 11 p.m.

Police say a mother bear and three cubs were reported in the area earlier.

While out with her dog, police say the woman was attacked by the mother bear "which caused several puncture wounds" to her back, as well as cuts to her head.

Be aware of your surroundings

Nearby family members assisted the woman when they heard her call for help and the bears ran off.

Police say she was taken to hospital and treated for non-life threatening injuries.

Police say they're working closely with officials from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry to coordinate a response and resolve the issue. Police ask the public to be cautious when dealing with bears.

"We want to make sure when people are out with their dogs, you keep your dog on a leash, be very very aware of your surroundings, let someone know where you're going to be and just keep track," Constable Sonny Spina said.

"If you see anything that's different, oftentimes when you encounter a bear people often say they smell it before they ever see it so keep your senses about you and be aware of  all of your senses and do everything you can to avoid these encounters."