A second black bear has been shot on the Chilkoot Trail as the historic Gold Rush route has been reopened to hikers but with strict conditions.

The second bear was shot at 8 a.m. Sunday.

Parks Canada superintendent Jeni Rudisill said this morning information gathered since the first bear was shot a week ago indicate the second bear was also a potential problem, as evidence suggested it had become habituated to human activity.

The first bear was shot and killed along the trail at the Lindeman City campground at 11:30 a.m. last Wednesday.

It happened not far from a baited snare that had been placed near the patrol cabin broken into by a bear two days prior.

In response to the break-in, Parks Canada set up remote wildlife cameras to assist in the investigation. The second bear was captured by those cameras approaching the patrol cabin last Wednesday night, Rudisill said.

She said the bear was investigating the building and the window that had been busted through initially. When the animal was in view of people, it was not quick to leave, she pointed out.

It was shot Sunday while it was investigating a culvert trap that had been flown in, Rudisill explained, adding there’s been no bear activity at Lindeman since.

A necropsy was conducted on the first bear last Thursday to see if there was any evidence to confirm it was the bear that had broken into the patrol cabin, but the results were inconclusive, Rudisill said.

She said a necropsy is being conducted on the second bear to see if there is any evidence indicating it was the bear that had broken into the cabin.

DNA material has been collected from both bears. It will be sent out for comparison with fur and other DNA material recovered from the patrol cabin, she said.

The bear that busted into the cabin a week ago Monday received a substantial food reward.

There was concern it could pose a threat to hikers, as there were indications it had become habituated human food an activity.

Hikers on the Canadian side of the Chilkoot Trail were removed June 20 by helicopter and boat, and the trail was closed on the Canadian side.

After the first bear was killed, it was decided to keep the trail closed for another three days to let the scent of the bear bait used in the snare sets to dissipate. Then the second bear showed up.

The trail was reopened Sunday. Hikers, however, must travel in groups of no fewer than four, and each group must be equipped with bear spray.

In addition, hikers are required to watch the normally optional video Stay Safe in Bear Country at the Chilkoot trail centre in Skagway before their departure.

“These are always good travel practices, but we are making them a requirement at this time,” Rudisill said.

As part of the restrictions, dogs are now prohibited in the restricted area that runs from Happy Camp to Bennett.

Rudisill said the campground at Lindeman remains closed and the Park Canada bear management team is conducting 24-hour surveillance there to watch for more bears.

There are parks staff at each campground along the trail, she said.

Ben Hayes of the U.S. Parks Service in Skagway said in an interview last Friday of the 100 hikers who had their plans interrupted by the closure on the Canadian side, three-quarters were OK with hiking the American side only while others pursued refunds of the $55 trail fee.

Other than a group of hikers from Australia and another group from the Czech Republic, most were from Canada and the U.S., he said.

Parks Canada is recommending hikers check the Chilkoot Trail website www.pc.gc.ca/chilkoot for updated information if they’re planning to hike the Chilkoot.

“In the 30-plus years that we have had this facility, we have never had any wildlife damage a building or enter a building,” Rudisill said.

She said the bears were not siblings, and there is nothing to suggest they were related.

The first bear killed was a lean two- or three-year-old sow weighing 37 kilograms (82 pounds).

The second was an eight- to 10-year-old boar weighing 111 kilograms (245 pounds), which is also on the lean side, she suggested.

The bear that broke in busted through a pane glass window and ransacked the fridge and shelves of food. Remnants of the raid were found 50 metres from the cabin, she said.

Rudisill said steel shutters have now been placed over the cabin windows.

The patrol cabin is a sturdy, solid-wall building that serves as the primary facility and headquarters at Lindeman.

It’s one of two buildings where food is kept, the other being surrounded by an electric fence, she explained.