Quebec police warn residents of polar bear on Gaspé peninsula

Quebec provincial police are warning people in the town of Madeleine-Centre to stay in their homes after a report that a polar bear was spotted in the area.

The town, located on the Gaspé peninsula, is less than 300 km north of the New Brunswick border and separated from more northern parts of Quebec by more than 100 km of water.

#ÉvénementEnCours | Un ours polaire a été vu dans le secteur de Madeleine-Centre, près de l'ancien aéroport. Les policiers sécurisent les lieux. Nous demandons aux résidents de rester à l'abri et de ne pas s'aventurer à l'extérieur. Les agents de @MFFP_Quebec sont en route.

— SQ Est (@Surete_Est) April 30, 2022

Sûreté du Québec (SQ) spokesman Sgt. Stephane Tremblay says a citizen reported the polar bear to wildlife officials who asked police to ensure the public’s safety until they could arrive.

Tremblay says conservation officers arrived and took charge of the situation before 2 p.m. Saturday.

The province’s Forests, Wildlife and Parks Department says it can’t yet confirm whether the animal that was spotted is in fact a polar bear.

Polar bears have been spotted occasionally in costal regions on Quebec’s Lower North Shore — around 500 km north of Madeleine-Centre.

by The Canadian Press