Conservation officers captured on Friday a young grizzly bear that’s believed to be the garbage-gobbling culprit spotted in recent weeks around Takhini and Porter Creek.
The female grizzly tore a screen door off its hinges at an Ibex Valley home last Thursday. Conservation officers responded and set up two culvert-style traps. The bear was caught inside one trap around 5:30 a.m. on Friday.
Biologists put a radio collar on the bear to track its movements and plan to relocate it more than 200 kilometres away from Whitehorse.
Later that day, conservation officers trapped and relocated a black bear that had broken into a freezer and eaten its contents near Marsh Lake. The freezer, located outside a cabin, was locked.
But “bears can get into anything,” said Nancy Campbell, a spokesperson for Yukon Environment.
Yukon Environment reminds residents who use trails to walk, run or bike to be alert and always carry bear spray. Bear sightings in Whitehorse should be reported to the TIP line (1-800-661-0525, 24 hours) or Environment Yukon (667-5652, business hours).