Police keeping an eye on a bear in Stittsville

Officials are keeping a close eye on a bear spotted roaming around Kanata and Stittsville over the past two days.

Residents in the Glen Cairn neighbourhood of Kanata and in Stittsville have reported seeing the bear roaming in the streets and backyards looking for food this week. Several schools have been in a shelter in place due to the bear sightings.

"We are working closely with the NCC and Ottawa police in tracking this bear," Michael Lalonde, Ottawa Bylaw Services supervisor, told CTV News Ottawa Wednesday afternoon. "We want to remove it safely by either having it tranquilized or have a trap set up to have it relocated."

Ottawa police responded to reports of a bear on Main Street in Stittsville Wednesday morning. Sacred Heart Catholic High School was in a shelter in place for a few minutes before police advised the bear was contained in a resident's backyard.

A police officer told CTV News Ottawa the bear was believed to have wandered back into the green space in Stittsville.

Lalonde says police believe it's the same bear roaming between Kanata and Stittsville.

"We do see a common theme where it is houses that back on to green space and people who have bird feeders in their backyards. Bird feeders seem to be a big attraction for the bear," Lalonde said.

"We do recommend that people who do have bird feeders in the backyard to remove them for the time being."

Coun. Glen Gower says there have been daily bear sightings in the Stittsville area since the weekend. 

On Tuesday, a black bear was spotted roaming around Kanata, with five schools put in shelter in place due to the bear. The bear was spotted on Oakburn Road, behind Glen Cairn Public School, Tuesday evening, according to Ottawa Bylaw and Regulatory Services.

"We encourage residents who encounter a bear to remain calm and slowly back away while keeping the animal in sight and wait for it to leave. If the bear is in a tree, leave it alone," Bylaw Services Director Roger Chapman said.

"It is also recommended that anyone with bird feeders on their property remove them immediately, as they attract bears," Chapman added.

There have been several reported sightings of bears in Ottawa this spring.

Bernie Derbach sent CTV News Ottawa video of a bear in the backyard of a Dunrobin home on Wednesday.

Coun. Theresa Kavanagh tweeted a photo on Sunday of a bear in the Greenbelt just north of Watts Creek Pathway.

Bears were also spotted in Stittsville and Kanata this month, with one bear in Stittsville captured and relocated.

There was also a bear spotted in Kanata that was killed by police in April. Another bear spotted in west Ottawa in May was safely tranquilized and relocated.