(Madeleine-Centre) The Sûreté du Québec warned residents of the Gaspé municipality of Madeleine-Centre on Saturday that they should stay at home, after learning that a polar bear had been seen in the region.
Posted at 2:05 p.m.
Police spokesperson Sergeant Stéphane Tremblay said a citizen reported the presence of a polar bear to wildlife officers, who then asked the police to ensure public safety. until they can arrive on the scene.
Sergeant Tremblay indicated that the wildlife protection officers arrived and took charge of the situation before 2 p.m.
The Ministry of Forests, Wildlife and Parks said it could not yet confirm whether the animal spotted was indeed a polar bear.
Polar bears have been sighted occasionally in the coastal regions of Quebec’s Lower North Shore, approximately 500 km north of Madeleine-Centre.