Black bears in Ontario are out looking for food: Here’s how to make sure they stay away from yours – Inside Halton

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Bear With Us has helped more than 700 black bears return to the wild. 

Campers are advised to properly dispose of their food to avoid attracting black bears.
Bear With Us has helped more than 700 black bears return to the wild. 
If you’re still camping or hiking in Ontario, you should keep your eyes peeled for any hungry black bears that are beefing up for winter months.
In a post on Facebook, Killarney Provincial Park’s page says bears enter a state of hyperphagia in the fall, which causes them to have an abnormally increased appetite. 
The bears know there is limited time to finish foraging for food before winter, so they can spend up to 20 hours a day doing so. While being extremely focused on food, they might not hear someone out on a fall colour hike approaching.
A post from Ontario Parks says bears don’t want to run into people just as much as people don’t want to run into them.
If you are out walking, give the bears some warning. Talk, sing, shout “hey bear” every once in a while — anything to let wildlife know you are approaching. 
While most Ontario parks are still open, not all have black bears. Speak with staff to learn more if that is a concern for you or your family. 
Visit ontarioparks.ca for operating dates.
Another black bear spotted in Caledon Village
Mike Fenn, a spokesperson from Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) says the Bear Wise line that handles non-emergency encounters with black bears, has received 4,360 calls to date this year compared to 4,668 calls during the same period in 2024. 
While the calls have gone down from last year, regional trends vary. Calls have increased significantly in Northwest Ontario with 1,828 reports to date in 2025, compared to 987 in the same period last year.
“This rise is primarily driven by bear activity in the Thunder Bay and Nipigon MNR Districts,” said Fenn, adding calls to the reporting line do not represent individual bear sightings, as a single bear can generate multiple reports. 
In Northeast Ontario, reports have decreased with 1,565 calls this year versus 2,044 last year. Calls are also down in southern Ontario with 967 reports this year compared to 1,637 last year.
Killarney Provincial Park, which is open to guests year-round, shared some safety tips to ensure campers avoid negative encounters with black bears in Ontario.
Charlie introduces us to Bear 32 “Chunk”
Ontarians can contact the Bear Wise line at 1-866-514-2327 if they spot any bears roaming around.
The Bear Wise line operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, from April 1 to Nov. 30 and should only be used for non-emergency situations. If the bear’s presence is a threat to anyone’s safety, 911 should be used.
To learn more about what to do if a bear is spotted or what is considered an emergency bear situation, visit this Ontario government web page.
All bears, from black bears in Ontario, to brown bears in Alaska share the same drive to fatten up for winter hibernation.
While brown bears are not native to Ontario, an annual contest called Fat Bear Week has just crowned the fattest bear of them all — with 32 Chunk, A.K.A. Chunk the Hunk winning this year.
Chunk is a brown male bear with a distinctive scar across his muzzle and a broken, healing jaw, first seen in Brooks Falls, Alaska in 2007.
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Aru Kaul is a general assignment reporter covering Peel and Halton.
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