Mattawa bear family relocated after numerous complaints

Ontario Provincial Police said Friday the mother and three cubs were moved about 100 kilometres away. It was a group effort involving the OPP and the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry. (Suppled)

After weeks of complaints, a family of bears was moved out of Mattawa this week.

Ontario Provincial Police said Friday the mother and three cubs were moved about 100 kilometres away. It was a group effort involving the OPP and the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry.

"Over the past three weeks, officers responded to numerous animal complaints involving a mother bear and her three cubs, approaching residences in the rural areas," police said in a news release.

"Officers had attended in the past and with the use of the police sirens were able to scare the family of bears away, however, within days, they would return. The bears began roaming closer towards the schools and restaurants."

That forced students to remain inside schools while the bears were in the area.

"A non-lethal measure was used to sedate and capture the nuisance bears, which were then relocated over 100 kilometres away to a remote location," police said.

"The OPP … would like to remind the public to refer to the Bear Wise website for some tools and tips to prevent attracting nuisance bears."