North

Garbage-eating bear killed in Whitehorse subdivision

Conservation officers say the brown bear posed a threat to public safety.

'Ultimately, the bear posed a threat to public safety,' say conservation officers

The bear 'was not afraid of people', according to conservation officers. (Environment Yukon)

Yukon conservation officers are reminding people to be "bear aware", after they killed a brown bear that had been eating from garbage and compost bins in a Whitehorse residential neighbourhood.

The bear "was conditioned to feed on human food sources and was not afraid of people," says a news release from Yukon Environment.

The bear had been seen poking into garbage and compost bins in the Copper Ridge and Lobird neighbourhoods. (Environment Yukon)

"Ultimately, the bear posed a threat to public safety."

The animal was killed last Saturday, after it was reported to be scavenging from garbage and compost bins in the Copper Ridge neighbourhood.

It had also been seen digging into bins in the Lobird neighbourhood, officers say.

Conservation officers say they've been getting more calls than normal this year about bears. They say all incidents have involved garbage, compost or livestock.

Conservation officers say they've had more calls than normal this year about bears. (Environment Yukon)