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Bear aware

Bear aware A black bear has been getting a little too comfortable in Copper Ridge recently. Yukon conservation officer Ryan Hennings has received numerous calls from residents who have spotted a brown-coloured black bear dining on their trash.
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A black bear has been getting a little too comfortable in Copper Ridge recently.

Yukon conservation officer Ryan Hennings has received numerous calls from residents who have spotted a brown-coloured black bear dining on their trash.

With hibernation season fast approaching, the bear is likely bulking up before he dens, said Hennings.

The bear is usually spotted in the early morning and late evenings.

It’s not common for bears to go rooting through garbage bins in Copper Ridge, but it does happen.

“In October, there’s not a lot of food readily available and garbage cans are an easy source,” he said.

Whitehorse-area bears usually go into hibernation in October, but timing depends on an individual bear’s health, food availability and snow conditions.

Some bears have been seen roaming outside as late as November, he said.

Thursday evening, Hennings was hot on the bear’s trail, following him through Copper Ridge.

But as soon as the bear caught sight of Hennings, he took off down a wooded trail.

“The good thing is that the bear isn’t aggressive,”

he said.

Conservation officers have set up a live bear-trap in the neighbourhood. Residents are advised to stay away from it.