Bear!

The M.N.R. have issued an official Bear Alert for all of this area, which means exactly that -- people should be alert. We have bears in the area.

This one was trying to get up to a bird feeder at the Oxtongue Craft Cabin. Good idea to stop feeding the birds just now, because it does attract bears and that's not a great plan. This feeder was already empty, but the bear was still hopeful.

The Oxtongue Craft Cabin is a fabulous place to drop by. You can strike off all your Christmas shopping, any wedding or anniversary or special occasion gifts all in one place. Jim's got a wonderful selection of area artisans and artists that ensures you'll find items here that you won't find in every craft shop across the country, and that is special. There is even a line of jewellery that is unique to the Craft Cabin.

The bear trotted across the road in front of my car as I drove past the Craft Cabin this week. He's not as big as the bear Bryce and Zach captured on film here at Bondi -- a slightly shaky video (we can excuse the photographer, who was a bit excited at the time!)

Our bear left his calling card, and then took the supposedly bear-proof dumpster, rolled it on its side, and pried the corner of the lid up with his teeth. If CSI Dwight ever needs his dental records, we've got 'em.

We've handed out information on Bear Awareness, What to Do and how not to attract one, and we've fixed the dumpster so it is even more bear-proof (we think). He didn't come back last night, and if he does return, he won't find anything -- we are in serious Garbage Lock Down Mode!

Anyway, he's got over 300 hectares of our wilderness area to go off in, hunting down mushrooms, and berries, and things bears are SUPPOSED to eat!