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Two bear traps in Porter Creek will likely be removed today.

Environment Yukon set up two traps in the neighbourhood this week after a bear chased two young female cyclists who were travelling up Mountain View Drive on Sunday evening.
p2beartrap

Environment Yukon set up two traps in the neighbourhood this week after a bear chased two young female cyclists who were travelling up Mountain View Drive on Sunday evening.

The girls are about 13-years-old, said Kris Gustafson, manager of enforcement and compliance for Yukon Environment. The bear was close to catching them when drivers began blasting their horns and using their vehicles to block the bears from attacking the girls, a witness described in a Facebook post.

Michael Fred, one of the drivers who was passing by, picked up the cyclists. The bear ran away.

The bear was extremely close to the girls, and the incident is highly unusual. “Bears don’t typically chase bicycles in residential areas,” said Gustafson.

The bear has not been caught, and it is safe to assume it has moved out of the area, said Gustafson.

Environment Yukon is also asking residents to watch out for bears when near the clay cliffs. At least two have been seen in the area between the airport and Two Mile Hill. Environment Yukon is encouraging people to make sure they have bear spray with them.

So far, 13 bears have been relocated from the Whitehorse area this summer, said Gustafson. Half of those were within Whitehorse city limits. Conservation officers have not had to kill any of the 13 bears, said Gustafson.