Wildlife experts believe bear wandering into Regina a rare situation

Seeing a bear venture into Regina city limits is not a situation the executive director of the Wildlife Rescue Society of Saskatchewan imagines will happen again anytime soon.

“I don’t think it’s very common, especially around here. I’ve never heard of a bear in Regina before,” said Bonnie Dell.

A 200-pound black bear was found in a tree by Regina Police on Victoria Avenue and Montreal Street on Monday.

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According to the Government of Saskatchewan, conservation officers came to the “difficult decision” to take the bear outside of city limits to humanely euthanize it, after officers struggled to immobilize it.

Dell said the bear likely lumbered into the city looking for something to eat.

Police and fire crews found the bear in a tree on the 1100 block of Victoria Avenue at around 4:20 a.m. (Government of Saskatchewan/Submitted)

“This guy was just following his nose,” she said. “He’s just trying to survive, find food, and it led him somehow into almost the downtown of Regina.”

Matthew Tokaruk, the province’s black bear biologist, said young bears typically take off from the den for the first time, on their own, this time of year.

“These bears will travel large distances at times, and are often the bears that tend to get into trouble,” he said.

While it may not seem like it, Tokaruk said most of Saskatchewan is considered bear country. He said wildlife may travel through corridors like Wascana Creek and enter the city.

“I wouldn’t say it’s overly common for animals to end up in very urban areas, as they often will want to avoid them,” he said. “But on occasion, they can make their way into those areas.”

There have been bear sightings in areas close to Regina, like Lumsden and White City.

In May 2024, Lumsden RCMP put down a bear after it roamed around the town. (Curtis Koskie/Submitted)

Tokurak said he couldn’t say whether we could expect more bears to venture into urban areas, but did say available food sources can often draw out animals into different places.

He said it’s important to keep garbage lids on tight and barbecues clean to avoid attracting bears. If there isn’t a food source available, bears will keep wandering, which will reduce the potential for a problematic encounter.

Tokurak said exact bear populations can be difficult to count, but his studies suggest bear populations are stable right now.

It’s “exceptionally rare” for a black bear to become aggressive when you see them.

“In most cases, bears are going to be heading away from us when we see them,” he said.

Dell said conservation officers acted appropriately in a high-pressure urban situation on Monday.

“They have a tough job, they have to protect the public, and that’s first and foremost,” she said. “If something had happened and this bear had potentially run into people gone into a schoolyard, we’d be having a different conversation.”