Be on the lookout for wildlife in northern York Region

Yorkregion.com
Oct. 22, 2015
By Heidi Riedner

Bear sightings may be common in rural areas, but the OPP and Ministry of Natural Resources and Fisheries are still reminding residents to be on the lookout for wildlife at this time of year. Ministry response processes to deal with situations that involve public safety, however, were changed in July after a black bear wandering through Newmarket backyards for hours this past June was shot and killed by police waiting for ministry officials to arrive. Previous response times usually ranged between two to three hours, but at least one ministry staff member will now attend a site immediately to advise officers, while others will head to the district offices in Aurora to gather equipment.