NL Polar Bears Damage Snowmobiles, Hot Tub as They Head North Early

A polar bear walks across the street in Churchill, Manitoba, in this file photo. People in southern Labrador and along Newfoundland's northern peninsula are reporting a lot of polar bear sightings in the last week as the huge animals make their annual trek north. The Canadian Press/Jonathan Hayward

ANTHONY, N.L.—East Coast polar bears have begun their annual trek north early, and despite a plethora of sightings police say things have been relatively trouble-free—give or take a damaged snowmobile or hot tub.

People in southern Labrador and along Newfoundland’s Northern Peninsula are being cautioned to be on the lookout for the bears, who have begun to move north after following the ice and seals south this winter.