A bear believed to be the one that raided a Parks Canada cabin on Monday has been killed.
A bear management response team comprised of Parks Canada staff and Yukon conservation officers shot the black bear Wednesday morning.
“Parks Canada takes the protection of wildlife very seriously and our staff work hard to reduce wildlife mortality,” the agency said in a statement. “This unfortunate action was required due to the serious visitor safety risk posed by the bear.”
The Canadian side of the trail, from Chilkoot Pass to Bennett, was closed Monday and remains closed. It will likely reopen by June 26. This is because the response team used two snare sites in their search for the bear, and experts have recommended the sites be cleaned and kept closed for two days to allow time for the scent to dissipate.
As well, it must be confirmed that the bear that was killed is indeed the same one that broke into the cabin, Parks Canada said in its statement. A necropsy was conducted Thursday to examine the bear’s health and stomach contents.
DNA samples will also be analyzed.
On Monday, a bear broke into the Parks Canada patrol cabin at Lindeman City. It damaged the refrigerator and cupboards and ate food. It returned to the cabin that evening.
Twenty hikers were evacuated from the trail on Monday, by boat and by helicopter.
Hikers who had booked trips on the Chilkoot this week will either have their money refunded or their trips rescheduled, according to the parks service.
For updates, visit pc.gc.ca/chilkoot, or call Parks Canada in Whitehorse at 667-3910 or the Trail Center in Skagway at 907-983-9234.