Youth reportedly chase black bear in Sudbury neighbourhood

A Staff Sergeant with the Sudbury police said his fingers couldn't type fast enough Friday morning after a report that youth in the Burton and Cabot Street area of Sudbury were seen provoking and chasing a black bear.

Staff Sergeant John McCormick said he doesn’t know how old the children were, based on the complaint, but he wants parents and teachers to talk to kids about this as soon as possible.

"We wanted to get this out the media as quickly as we could so that hopefully parents … will be listening to this and they’ll have a frank conversation with their kids where they explain the dangers of children … approaching any wildlife," McCormick said.

But one witness reported adults were there, too, and no one stopped the youngsters.

Zakk Vachon said he was visiting a friend on Cabot Street in Cambrian Heights when they saw the bear out the window around 9 a.m.

He said he saw about five or six kids following the animal — and several adults as well.

Vachon said the youth appeared to be mostly between the ages of five and eight.

"The kids were following it around, like trying to tease it and like play with the bear," Vachon said. "Just like, 'Look a bear! Let's pet the bear!'"

Vachon said adults were taking pictures and videos of the animal. He said the bear seemed undisturbed by the attention, and eventually wandered back in to the bush.

McCormick noted that the bear has been seen periodically around the houses and on the street in that area of the city.