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Wildlife officers fatally shoot polar bear after saying it approached residents

N.L. officer kill polar bear in community

CATALINA, N.L. — Wildlife officers in Newfoundland say they had to shoot a polar bear because it ventured too close to people in the community of Catalina.

The bear was spotted Saturday and conservation officers say they tried to capture it alive.

They say when fog prevented a helicopter from aiding in the capture, officers set up a trap and tried to scare the bear back towards the water.

But when the bear started moving quickly towards houses and bystanders on Sunday, officers say they decided to kill the animal.

The Fisheries Department says killing a polar bear is always a last-resort action, done only when public safety is at risk.

Another polar bear spotted in Brookside was tranquilized and will be relocated to the Northern peninsula.

(VOCM)

The Canadian Press