Sad ending to bear story
By Kyra Hoggan
Residents who heard shots fired this afternoon in the vicinity of the fire hall actually heard the ending of a sad story replayed too many times in communities like ours each year.
The shots were the end result of a bear that had wandered into town and been shoo-ed away from the fire hall by an off-duty conservation officer (See Fire department grins and “bears” it).
According to RCMP Sgt. Laurel Mathew, the bear returned again, once more seeking to feed in unsecured garbage.
“He returned and was making his way toward 7-11, going through people’s yards,” she said.
The conservation officer on duty made the difficult decision to dispatch the bear.
“He said that once they start feeding off garbage, there’s no stopping them – they can be relocated, and they’ll just come back again,” Mathew said. “No matter how far away you take them, they’ll come back looking for the nearest dumpster or garbage bag.”
The bear was destroyed around 2 p.m.
Police once again urge residents to secure garbages, pet food, and other foodstuffs that may attract bears.
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