Bear cub falls from tree after mother shot by police in New Sudbury
2 cubs tranquillized, taken from scene in Sudbury, Ont., neighbourhood
A bear sow has been shot dead by police in a Sudbury, Ont., neighbourhood this morning after police say it charged at a government worker while partially tranquillized.
The Greater Sudbury Police Service said two cubs were up a tree on Kingslea Court, a residential area in New Sudbury. The mother bear was pacing around the tree aggressively, according to the homeowner, who called authorities to deal with the situation.
"Attempts were made to move the bears along using audible equipment but this proved to be fruitless," Greater Sudbury police said in a news release.
Police said the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) worker tried and failed to tranquillize the sow. The mother bear "became aggressive" and charged toward a ministry employee before being shot and killed by a police officer at the scene, the news release said. The bear's death came more than two hours after initial contact by authorities, according to police.
With the mother bear dead and one of the cubs eventually captured, officials tried to sedate and capture the second cub, which was still in the tree.
The video shows several officials under the tree with a net attempting to catch the bear cub. With a long rod, a MNRF technician nudged the bear from the tree, but people below were unable to catch the bear and it fell to the ground from at least 3.5 metres up, tumbling down the trunk. From there, the cub ran away and was being chased by officials before it was eventually caught.
The dead mother bear was loaded onto a truck while the two tranquillized cubs were shipped away to a wildlife sanctuary. In the past, bear cubs in the region were sent to the Bear With Us rehabilitation centre.
The bears were in a tree belonging to local resident Nick Crepeau, who said he's never seen so many bears in the area.
Sudbury police say they also have questions about whether a gunshot reported in the area had anything to do with an injured bear found Sunday night.
Police responded to a call on McAllister Avenue at 9 p.m. ET. A bear was seen "clearly suffering from injuries and unable to move," police said. They had to kill the bear due to its injuries.
Police are asking people in the neighbourhood to come forward with information about that bear, and also about a gunshot heard in the area.