Bear takes Sunday morning stroll in Stittsville field
A black bear was spotted out for a Sunday stroll in a field in Stittsville.
"I couldn't believe it. Very rare for me. I've never seen anything like that," said Laurie Viau Gillard in an interview with CTV News Ottawa.
Photos showed the bear in a field in the area of Fernbank Road and Terry Fox Drive around 11 a.m.
"There were three deer and I was wondering what they were running towards and it was a big black bear," said Viau Gilliard.
A video posted on Twitter a few hours later showed a black bear in a field in the area of Terry Fox Drive and Eagleson Road.
News of the black bear in the field was the talk of the neighbourhood Sunday afternoon.
"It does scare me. We have a lot of children in the area," said one resident.
"I'm not really surprised about it, we've seen other wildlife in the area," said another resident in the neighbourhood.
Ottawa police did not receive any calls about the bear. Police advise people not to approach the animal, and if it enters a residential area to call police.
Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources offers the following tips if you encounter a bear:
- Slowly back away while keeping the bear in sight and wait for it to leave
- If the bear does not leave, throw objects, wave your arms and make noise with a whistle or air horn
- Prepare to use bear spray
- If you are near a building or vehicle get inside as a precaution
- Drop any food you may be carrying and slowly move away
- If a bear is in a tree, leave it alone. Leave the area. The bear will come down when it feels safe
The ministry says if you encounter a bear, do not run, climb a tree or swim and do not attempt to feed the animal.
There have been several bear sightings in the Ottawa area.
Last July, the National Capital Commission trapped a bear that was spotted in Mud Lake, a conservation area near Britannia Village.
In May 2020, a black bear was spotted in a tree along Terry Fox Drive near Kanata Avenue. Conservation officers tranquilized the bear and transported it back to the woods.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trudeau acknowledges charges in Nijjar killing, calls for commitment to democracy
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has acknowledged the charges laid Friday in relation to the murder of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Bodies recovered in Mexico likely 2 Australians, 1 American who went missing: officials
Three bodies recovered in an area of Baja California are likely to be those of the two Australians and an American who went missing last weekend during a camping and surfing trip, the state prosecutor’s office said Saturday.
Princess Anne lays wreath at B.C. veteran's cemetery; receives 21-gun salute
Princess Anne paid tribute to veterans buried at a cemetery in British Columbia today, laying a wreath to honour the more than 2,500 military personnel and family members buried there.
Mystik Dan wins the 150th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in a three-horse photo finish
Mystik Dan won the 150th Kentucky Derby in a photo finish, edging out Forever Young and Sierra Leone for the upset victory.
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Work stoppage possible as WestJet issues lockout notice to maintenance engineers' union
A lockout notice issued by WestJet to a union representing aircraft maintenance engineers could result in a work stoppage next week.
London Drugs begins 'gradual reopening' on 7th day after cyberattack
Almost a week after all London Drugs stores across Western Canada abruptly closed amid a cyberattack, they began a "gradual reopening" on Saturday.