A sow black bear which was relocated from Copper Ridge two weeks ago has been killed by conservation officers.

She and her two cubs returned to the area two days ago, and were foraging once again through garbage bins in the neighbourhood.

Conservation officers are trying to capture the cubs.

“None of us wanted this to happen,” a sombre-sounding Ryan Hennings, manager of enforcement and compliance with Environment Yukon, told the Star this morning

“It’s a classic example of how bears behave once they get into garbage – it’s very difficult to turn this behaviour around once they start down this path and become a threat to public safety.”

He said conservation officers received reports of bear sightings since Sunday, first in Takhini then in McIntyre.

It wasn’t until Monday night that the family made it to Copper Ridge, and residents reported the sow going through their garbage.

At 6 a.m. today, after another complaint, a conservation officer visited the neighbourhood and tried to adverse-condition her using rubber slugs.

Each time, she returned to the property within minutes, Hennings said.

“In the end, she came right back into the backyard while he was still there, and we were forced to put her down as a result,” he said.

“She showed no fear of people, and she was returning. Even though we tried to move her off twice, she kept coming back.”

Initially, with her cubs not present, they weren’t sure it was the same bear.

But she had an identifying growth on her shoulder.

It wasn’t an option to try relocating the sow on her own. The cubs are too young, Hennings said. The mother was still lactating.

The cubs’ future is unknown at this point.

Environment Yukon will try to find a new home for them – a zoo or preserve.

The Yukon Wildlife Preserve doesn’t accept bears, Hennings said.

On July 2, conservation officers spent four hours capturing the family of three to relocate them away from Whitehorse. Several residents had reported the brown-faced mother bear knocking over trash bins.

Hennings said at the time the bears had been relocated about 150 kilometres away.

“It was decided to not move her as far as we typically move (them) because she had a family unit,” he said.

“The decision was made to move her to the other side of the Yukon River, away from the community, to have it be, hopefully, a barrier for her, thinking that she wouldn’t swim the river with those two cubs.”

Earlier in the season, the mother bear and her cubs had been spotted along Hamilton Boulevard, but they were eating dandelions and other natural food sources then and public safety was less of a concern.

“This is really an example of how once a bear starts down this road, how important a food source such as garbage becomes to them and the length that they will go to access that garbage,” Hennings said.

“It’s why we ask residents to secure their garbage as best as possible to try to prevent bears from starting down this path. I know we always use that message, but this is why.”

Environment Yukon reminds Whitehorse residents to keep garbage and other bear attractants out of reach.

Black bears are frequenting the Pineridge and Mount Sima neighbourhoods.

Until the berry crop starts ripening, bears will be actively seeking out alternative food sources.

To report incidents of human-wildlife conflict call the TIPP Line at 1-800-661-0525 or visit www.env.gov.yk.ca/tipp.