If you live in the central west end of Peterborough, you will want to bring your pets and children inside.

A black bear was spotted roaming in Peterborough on Sunday morning (April 19) around 7 a.m. in the area of Romaine and Monaghan, north of the Evinrude Centre and The Canadian Canoe Museum.

Peterborough resident Sarah Nyarota posted photos of the bear on her Facebook page:

??WARNING?? BLACK BEAR ROAMING BY EVINRUDE. Hubby saw this guy roaming around this morning. 911 has been called. Please keep your pets inside! *UPDATE* last seen going West on Whitefield – 9:00 am Posted by Sarah Nyarota on Sunday, April 19, 2020

The bear was last seen heading west, on Whitefield Drive, at 9 a.m. heading towards the Kawartha Golf & Country Club. As of 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 19th, kawarthanow is not aware of any further sightings of the bear.

Sightings of wildlife in urban areas are becoming more common around the world, including in Canada, due to decreased human activity because of the COVID-19 lockdown.

According to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, black bears usually emerge from their winter dens from early to mid-April in southern Ontario. Adult males often wander considerably at this time as they are searching for food.

The City of Peterborough is aware of the bear sighting and provided advice to residents on its Twitter account.