A black bear that made its way into Saskatoon’s northwest industrial sector Tuesday morning is dead after being tranquilized by conservation officers.
The animal was found in a tree in the 2900-block of Miners Avenue and was eventually shot with a tranquilizer by Saskatchewan Environment and Resource Management officers. He was taken out of the city and administered a reversal drug, however it failed to take effect.
WATCH BELOW: Adam MacVicar reports live from Miners Avenue where a black bear was found in a tree
“They decided this animal is probably under a condition called capture myopathy,” Kerry Wrishko, a conservation officer service inspector, said Tuesday.
“That is a condition where the body essentially shuts down and it affects the organs and it’s just not going to recover.”
The bear was eventually euthanized, however Wrishko said given the outcome, the situation was still handled in the best way possible.
“We’re not going to let a live bear persist in the city,” he said.
READ MORE: Bear trapped in a tree off St. Mary’s Rd
Black bear sightings within Saskatoon are rare, Wrishko said. He noted that no one in his conservation office could remember when a similar incident last occurred.
Black bears are most commonly found north of Saskatoon, according to wildlife expert Philip McLoughlin, who tracks black bear populations as part of a University of Saskatchewan study. However, he said sightings near Saskatoon have become more common.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if we see black bears in Saskatoon at some point in the future again,” McLoughlin, a population ecologist, said in an interview Tuesday.
The bear that made its way into Saskatoon on Tuesday likely came from the North Saskatchewan River, according to McLoughlin.
“A wandering young bear, fresh out of hibernation, may be active for the last month or so I would say and this is the time of year bears are looking for food,” McLoughlin said.
“It’s usually the young animals that have yet to establish a home range in which to live out their lives that will start to kind of press boundaries.”
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McLoughlin noted that bear attacks aimed at humans are rare, but said the animals can be dangerous, especially when cornered.
“I think that was the correct decision to remove the bear,” McLoughlin said
“Once you have a bear trapped in fences and artificial areas, it’s hard to predict behaviour.”
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