A bear injured two people in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, with the victims needing hospital treatment as a result, local police reported. 

The altercation happened about 4:45 p.m. Aug. 27, with Sault Ste. Marie Police, EMS and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources responding to the scene near Peoples Road and Fifth Line East. The Ontario city of Sault Ste. Marie is directly across the St. Marys River and Canadian-U.S. border from the Michigan city of Sault Ste. Marie.

Preliminary investigation suggests "the victims may have inadvertently come between a bear and its cubs," the report from Sault Ste. Marie Police Service said. 

The victims had injuries that were described as serious, but not life-threatening. 

The bear has not yet been located, and the Ministry of Natural Resources is working on the case. 

"Sault Police are reminding community members using walking trails to remain alert, keep dogs on a leash, and make plenty of noise while walking to alert bears to your presence so they can avoid you," the report said. 

If a bear is roaming around garbage cans or is in a tree, Ontario authorities recommend calling a non-emergency line to report the incident to wildlife authorities. 

If a bear poses an immediate threat to personal safety such as entering a school yard while school is in session or tries to enter a home, call 911 or the local police emergency line.