A bear that wandered into the campground at the Takhini Hot Springs last weekend was shot, Dennis Senger, the spokesperson for the Department of the Environment, said today.

The animal was dispatched by conservation officers last Saturday night.

The department had received complaints from two residents on the Takhini River Road last Friday that there was a bear in the area, said Senger.

The animal had been spotted on a porch and appeared to be trying to break down the door to get into one of the homes, he said.

A bear trap was set up in the area, but the animal was not caught.

Last Saturday, a call came in from the hot springs building that a bear, which was identified as the same animal, was in the campground.

The bear did not appear to have any fear of people. Some of the campers were even out taking photos of it as it wandered around the tents, he said.

The bear trap was moved to the campground and the animal was ` caught in it later on Saturday night.

It was then taken away by the conservation officers to be shot, said Senger.

'Its behaviour was a safety concern.'

The bear had demonstrated interest in entering a home and tents and did not exhibit fear of humans, added Senger. This suggested the animal had become habitual, he said, which meant that relocating it was not an option.

'It just would have been relocating the bear and making it someone else's problem.'

Senger said up until the last couple of weeks, reports of bear sightings had been at a minimum, filling barely a quarter of a page in a book at the department that documents the incidents.

Last year, up to five pages would have been filled by this time in the summer, said Senger.

Last week, there was also a sighting of a bear in a residential area in Wolf Creek.

Senger said this year there has been a good crop of berries to help encourage the animals to stay away from human-occupied areas, which they sometimes enter in search of food.

However, he said, it's still important for Yukoners to remain bear aware and ensure that garbage is kept out of back yards and the barbecues are clean.

'It's not a bear problem, it's a people problem,' Senger said of the latest incidents.

Beyond just a meagre number of incidents, Senger said, the Yukon has not had any reported bear attacks or maulings occurring this summer.

'This year we've been very, very, very fortunate,' he said.