There shouldn't be any cause for concern after two black bear sightings were reported recently to Chatham-Kent Police, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry.
"It's likely that they're transient bears, so if a bear is moving through an area and it's not lingering or getting into food sources or not causing any conflict with people, there's really isn't anything that needs to be done," spokesperson Jolanta Kowalski said.
Police received a call Monday from someone who said they observed two black bears just east of Wallaceburg before 1:30 a.m. Two days later, police received a second report of a black bear observed last Saturday in Merlin.
Bears not uncommon
A large population of black bears is located near the Bruce Peninsula near Tobermory. Kowalski said it is not uncommon for those bears to travel south.
"We'll get reports of bears walking their way down on the side of Lake Huron because they can go into forested areas around the shores near Goderich," Kowalski said.
She said it's likely the bears are transient since they haven't taken residence in any of the observed areas.
"It was likely just moving through. So there's really nothing that needs to be done," said Kowalski.
The ministry considers black bears to be a cause for concern only if they linger in an area or are found rummaging through people's belongings.
"Then, potentially I would suggest people call the BearWise phone line to get tips on how to deal with bears wandering through," Kowalski said, adding public emergencies are not issued for bears seen walking through wooded areas.