TORONTO – Government data show bears are far more likely to be killed than tranquilized in Ontario when authorities are called in to intervene.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry says it received 4,293 calls for bear sightings last year, and about two per cent required an on-the-ground response.
It says in 70 per cent of those cases, the bear is killed “due to public safety concerns.”
Ministry spokesman Todd Lane says “chemical immobilization” is always the preferred option, but public safety remains the top concern.
READ MORE: Here’s why the Newmarket bear was shot (and the next one could be too)
Outrage erupted online earlier this week after police shot and killed a black bear that had been cornered in a suburban Toronto backyard.
Police say they had no choice but to shoot once the bear started coming down the tree it had climbed.
Ministry staff were called to assist but did not arrive until after the bear had already been killed.
Under the current system, police are the first to respond to bear sightings. Ministry experts are brought in once the animal is confined and no longer considered a public threat.
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