A brownish-coloured black bear that was getting into garbage was shot by conservation officers in the Copper Ridge subdivision on Canada Day.

Officers determined it was the same bear that had been raiding garbage bins in the Lobird subdivision.

“This bear was not a good candidate for relocation because it had approached a number of residences in Copper Ridge and Lobird to access bins that were left outside properties, without being secured shut or stored inside,” says an advisory issued by Environment Yukon.

“The bear was conditioned to feed on human food sources and was not afraid of people.

“This bear matched the description of a bear that had accessed garbage previously in the same area of Copper Ridge earlier in the day.”

The advisory says it was determined the bear posed a threat to public safety and was euthanized by a conservation officer as a result.

Environment Yukon is emphasizing the importance of securing bins either inside a building or fenced area, or by placing a clamp on the bin so that it cannot be opened.

Managing attractants such as household waste as well as regularly cleaning barbecues and smokers helps to keep wildlife alive, the advisory emphasizes.

Conservation officers have been dealing with an unusually high number of bear complaints this year.

Several bears have been shot in the Whitehorse area and across the Yukon.

In each case, attractants were involved, according to Environment Yukon.