Residents of a small northern Ontario town say they're living in constant fear of bears in the community, many that are making themselves right at home.
Larder Lake resident Angie Carter says she was recently sitting in her living room with her three-month-old-daughter when a bear entered her kitchen and snatched hamburger buns from the table.
"He could have easily turned the corner…and come to where I was sitting with my baby girl," Carter told CTV Northern Ontario.
She said the latest bear encounter is the third she's had this month alone.
Another bear broke down her door just over the weekend, Carter said.
Residents in Larder Lake, located approximately 230 kilometres north of North Bay, recently gathered to discuss what they say is a growing bear problem in the community.
"I'm terrified," Kristie Tulloch said.
She said she no longer allows her five-year-old to play outside.
"I have other family members that are following their kids in their cars around Larder…just to make sure they're safe."
OPP say officers have received 18 complaints of bear encounters through the spring and summer.
A spokesperson with the provincial Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry said the blueberries and raspberries that the bears usually feed on in the area are still too green, so they're looking for other sources of food.
"So it's critically important now to manage anything that might attract the bears, like garbage," Jolanta Kowalski said.
She said the ministry is setting up bear traps in the area, and once the bears are trapped they will be relocated.
With a report from CTV Northern Ontario's Natalie Van Rooy
