Cops and Bloggers: Ottawa Police Response to Wild Animals

One of my favourite things about living here in the National Capital Region is that I can drive for 15 minutes in almost any direction and find myself away from the concrete jungle and in nature.  Like many who live in the NCR, I enjoy a multitude of outdoor sports and recreational activities. 

Although the proximity to the natural world is one of the most attractive features of the region, it doesn’t come without consequence. Whether it is due to human encroachment on natural habitat, a changing environment, or a poor annual food crop, the incidents of wild animals entering the urban and suburban areas of our city won’t go away, and it often falls to our first responders to resolve them.

One recent call for service involving a young black bear in the Byward Market showcased how, when circumstances allow, the Ottawa Police Service and our partner agencies can safely re-introduce the animal into its natural habitat.  All of the first responders at the scene that day felt a tremendous sense of accomplishment.  We were all very happy to receive the photo of the Byward Bear making his way down a forest path later that day in Lanark.

We wish all animal in urban areas calls could be resolved this way, but it is a complex process. I would like to explain what happens and why we do what we do in these situations.

Whenever a large or dangerous animal enters our City, the primary role of the Ottawa Police Service is to preserve and protect human lives in these instances.  That being said, whenever possible, we’ll always use the least amount of force and intervention in order to achieve this goal.  Often in suburban areas, simply putting police vehicles in strategic locations will have the effect of funnelling the animal back to an area where they pose little danger to the public. 

Other times, we need to contain the animal to a strategic location, where they are less likely to injure members of the public, and then plan our response with our partner agencies: NCC, MNR, ByLaw, Humane Society, Ottawa Fire Department and Ottawa Paramedic Service, to name a few. Our goal is to protect the public without causing injury to the animal. 

As a result, we may require people stay inside their homes and businesses so we can reduce the stress on the animal and lessen the chance that the animal will try to escape.  In the best case scenario, the animal will be tranquilized by one of our partnering agencies and we can wait for the animal to be incapacitated before handling it.  This leads to better outcomes for the animal, and enhances the safety for the public and first responders.

Sadly, every year there are incidents involving animals in urban areas, who pose a real and immediate risk to human lives. In those instances, immediate lethal force by police is required.  Sometimes the level of aggression shown by the animal makes it impossible to use other interventions. Other times, even when the animal is successfully contained, after consulting with animal experts the most prudent course of action is to humanely euthanize the animal.  This is never the outcome that we hope to achieve, but sadly tranquilizer darts are not 100% effective, they can take several minutes to take effect, and in that time, a large animal can cause a lot of damage, and potentially endanger human lives.

Remember, if the animal is under 75 lbs, call the City of Ottawa at 311.

Even though wild animals may appear cute, they can be dangerous. If you see any wild animal in an urban area, you should contact police immediately using 911.  We will all do our best to ensure the safe return the animal to its habitat.

Photos by CTV Ottawa, Ottawa Citizen