Conservation officers have shot one black bear and are planning to destroy another after the two animals made their way to – and in one case, through – Whitehorse homes on Thursday.

Ken Knutson, Environment Yukon's manager of field operations south, said today conservation officers were called to Squatters Row Thursday after a 200-lb. black bear forced its way through a window of a house.

Fortunately, the home owner wasn't inside at the time and was able to phone conservation officers from outside the residence.

The bear came back through the window it had destroyed, then scampered off when it heard the conservation officers drive up.

One officer remained on the scene while the others left to deal with calls coming from Copper Ridge about a bear making its way to area porches.

It wasn't long before the home invader bear returned to the property on Squatters Row, circling the cabin, then taking off again.

It was later found the bear had gone through a cooler, without a lot of damage inside except for the broken window.

The conservation officer moved down the road and searched for the bruin. Before he knew it, the animal was behind him.

"It was not backing down,” Knutson told the Star, noting the officer could do little else but spin around and shoot the animal.

A necropsy found just a small piece of tin foil along with some food in the stomach.

"This is a bit of an anomaly,” Knutson said.

Normally, by the time a bear gets brazen enough to make its way to and into homes, there's a lot more garbage in their stomachs.

This bear appeared to be in good condition and, though the exact age is not known, from the condition of its teeth it appears it was in the prime of its adult life.

Though Knutson hasn't been to the property, he understands from the report there weren't any significant attractants in the woman's yard to draw the bear in.

There is thick brush leading to the home, however.

In some cases, he said, a bear may be moving through a wooded area and could easily end up on a residential property if there is no cleared area for the home.

If a bear ends up near a home, Knutson said, it's unlikely to invade the house if people are inside.

If it does, the resident should do whatever he or she can to get out and call the RCMP and conservation officers.

Environment Yukon is reminding residents to keep yards clear of attractants which go beyond garbage and food.

As Environment Yukon spokeswoman Nancy Campbell pointed out in an interview this morning, oil and other smells can also draw bruins to local yards.

A trap has been set in Copper Ridge. Conservation officers are planning to shoot the bear that was reported to be on residents' porches Thursday.

The large, aggressive animal appears to have lost its fear of humans, and there's not a lot of hope for rehabilitation.

Signs have also been posted in the area to make residents aware of the situation.

Thursday's shooting marks the eighth bear shooting this season.

In all cases, a bear came into a yard and had to be destroyed, as it was a threat to humans.

Campbell noted July is a time of year where it can be difficult for bears to find natural food sources.

The animals, she explained, are seeing a dwindling supply of the food that was available in the spring, but the late summer berries they eat have yet to ripen.

"They are eating machines,” she said, adding that when their natural food sources deplete, they will look elsewhere for nutrients.

Residents are reminded to keep their yards clear of smells and attractants. If they have a garage or shed, they should store their garbage inside.

Both Knutson and Campbell also pointed to the bear information page on the department's website at http://www.env.gov.yk.ca/wildlifebiodiversity/bearindex.php for residents looking for detailed information on preventing bears from coming into yards, how to stay safe, and general information about the animals.

The site also features the bear incident map showing where they have been reported.