A family of eight was left waiting for hours for help after a black bear broke into their Manitoba cottage overnight, leaving them with a broken window.
Kat Devon and her family were awakened around 4:30 a.m. Monday by the sound of breaking glass. After realizing there was a bear in the house, Devwon, her sister and her parents took her two children and niece and nephew into a bedroom and barricaded the door. That’s when Devuone’s sister called 911 for help.
Instead of getting immediate help, they were sent back and forth between 911 dispatch, the RCMP and, eventually, the Manitoba Conservation Line.
“(They) let us know that no one was working, that they didn’t have anyone, so no one was going to come and that we should immediately hang up and call 911,” Devon told CTV Winnipeg on Monday.
Manitoba RCMP eventually said they would send officers to the house, though they weren’t sure how they would handle the situation, calling it a “conservation issue,” Devwon recalled.
“To be told there is no help is absolutely terrifying. And then when you know help is on the way to be told, we’re coming, but we don’t know what we’re going to do. We don’t know how to help you.”
The police showed up an hour after the family called, when the bear was already gone. The family was found unharmed.
“The RCMP were notified that Conservation would not be attending so the officer called the complainant for an update. It was reported that the bear was inside the cabin, and several adults and children were also inside. Officers immediately headed to the address,” Cpl. Julie Courchaine told CTV Winnipeg in an emailed statement
A provincial spokesman said in a statement that while their line is being monitored, conservation officers are not on duty 24 hours a day.
Chris Benson of the Manitoba Wildlife Federation said black bear attacks are “incredibly rare” in Manitoba, despite the province’s healthy population of the species.
He says the bear was probably in the cottage looking for food, not people.
“Bears are food oriented. They’re looking to store fat for the winter and be able to raise their young and be able to provide milk for their young,” he said Monday.
He recommends keeping cabins and campsites clean and taking out trash regularly, as bears are attracted to the smell of human food.
RCMP told Devuone to expect the bear to return to the cottage.
“He said he now sees the cottage as a good source. He was rewarded for coming here. So they have prepared the trap,” she said. “They also told us that no one would be working tonight if that happened.”
“If the bear enters the villa again, we will face the same situation.”
With files from CTV Winnipeg
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