Bear spotted in west Ottawa neighbourhood tranquilized and relocated

Ottawa Bylaw says a bear that was spotted in a west-end neighbourhood Wednesday was tranquilized by NCC staff and will be relocated.

Ottawa police announced residents had spotted the bear Wednesday morning.

"We are aware of a bear in the Centrepointe area and are working with partners to determine the appropriate course of action," police said in a tweet Wednesday morning.

Earlier Wednesday, doorbell camera video sent to CTV Ottawa showed the bear wandering around Briargreen, which is near Centrepointe.

The video shows the bear on a homeowner's driveway and lawn before it wanders off elsewhere.

According to Ottawa Bylaw, the bear was first spotted at around 5:40 a.m. in the area of Greenbank and Baseline roads. 

"Ottawa Police continued to provide updates of the bear’s location and the bear finally settled in a backyard on Centrepointe Drive. The bear was stationary and calmly lying at the base of a tree were the necessary conditions to safely allow for tranquilization," Ottawa Bylaw and Regulatory Services (BLRS) Director Roger Chapman told CTV News Ottawa in an emailed statement.

"BLRS made arrangements with the NCC to attend and tranquilize the bear which took place around 11 a.m. with Ottawa Police present to assist as needed. The healthy bear is on its way to an appropriate release site provided by the MNRF."

Bylaw shared an image of the bear in his "new digs" after it was relocated.

Andrew Williams watched the bear from his living room window. 

"It walked across the court and came right up to the window. It put its nose on the window, there's still the slobber on the window. And I was within a foot of it just watching it," he said. "Then it peeled off over to my neighbor's and went to their front door and then came back and went to my other window and banged on it."

College ward Coun. Laine Johnson tweeted there have been several bear sightings in the area and warned people to put away bird feeders, bring in garbage or other food sources, and keep pets inside.

"We all love seeing wildlife, so let's not contribute to the circumstances that lead to animals being needlessly killed," she said.

In an update just after 11 a.m., Ottawa Bylaw said the bear had been "chemically immobilized" by the NCC and would be relocated by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry.

"Being on Centerpointe drive, there was no way for the bear to be, you know, shooed into the proper direction to go back to the forest," Johnson told CTV News Ottawa. "So they did have to take the step to relocate the bear to a wilderness area. Close to Ottawa, but far enough away from residences." 

Last month, Ottawa police shot and killed a bear in Kanata that had been wandering into backyards and eating birdseed from feeders.

That led to an outcry about why the bear was shot instead of relocated.

Authorities are reminding people never to approach a bear. The Ontario govenrment has resources on how to be 'bear wise.'

--With files from CTV News Ottawa's Dave Charbonneau.