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Bear euthanized after officials determine it was likely behind woman’s death in northern Alberta

A 2017 file photo of a black bear. AP Photo/Becky Bohrer

Three days after a 26-year-old woman died after being mauled by a bear in a remote part of northern Alberta, officials say the animal believed to be responsible for the attack has been euthanized.

“Fish and wildlife officers have captured and positively identified the bear believed to be responsible for the fatal attack on a woman near Swan Hills on July 31,” a spokesperson for Alberta Justice wrote in an email to Global News on Tuesday. “Fish and wildlife officers obtained DNA samples from bears located near the incident site.

“The DNA analysis concluded that one of the bears, an adult female black bear that did not appear to have cubs, was responsible for the attack.”

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READ MORE: Woman dead after bear mauling in northern Alberta: RCMP 

The decision to kill the bear was made in accordance with the government’s Black Bear Response Guide, the spokesperson said.

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“This decision is never made lightly, and when it is made, it is to prevent more attacks by that particular bear.”

The government spokesperson added that all traps have been removed from the area and urged people to be aware of bear safety guidelines as there are a large number of the animals in the region.

“Doing so will help keep everyone safe by avoiding human-wildlife conflict and prevent a similar tragedy from occurring.”

The RCMP previously said the woman who was killed worked for a helicopter company that transported tree planters in and out of the area.

Watch below: Some Global News videos about bears.

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