A possible black bear sighting at the JJ Collett Natural Area on April 26th prompted conservation officers to put up a warning for hikers to stay vigilante while in the area.

Although it's not unheard of to see wild animals in public areas, it's usually in the form of skunks, porcupines or deer, but last week Conservation Officer for the Red Deer District Nick Mandrusiak headed out to the area to investigate.

He says he put up the sign up as a precaution.

“In my opinion I put up the sign saying, ‘Warning bear in Area’, because based on the conversation I had with the person who called it in, sounds like that person likely saw a juvenile black bear. Find some scat that is likely some black bear scat, well two likelys kind of lean towards a probably. Because this is an uncommon thing for JJ Collette, I put up the sign as just a heads up.”

Mandrusiak says there is some pretty common steps to take to avoid an encounter with an unwanted wild animal.

“If you leave something behind that they might want to eat you are going to bring in wild animals. Keeping clean, and keeping your pets on the leash. When they are going to go, they are going to follow their nose and they are going to find that animal, and maybe it’s not bringing a bear back to you, but maybes it’s a skunk maybe it’s a porcupine, maybe they’re running a deer and they chase it back to you…it’s a small thing that turns into big stuff, but keeping your pet on a leash really avoids a lot of problems.”

He says they're was only that one reported sighting, and no new evidence has been found this week, which means the signs will likely come down by this weekend, but it's always smart to be aware of wild animals whenever you are out in the country.

For more information on steps to take to avoid an encounter with a wild animal, or for who to call if you see a wild animal in a public space, you can visit the government of Alberta’s website.