Mother bear that wandered into B.C. store killed by conservation officers

The B.C. Conservation Officer Service says it has killed one of the two bears that wandered into a Pharmasave in Hope on Sunday.

Conservation officers were called to the Pharmasave around 2 p.m. following a report of a mother black bear and her cub inside the store.

When officers arrived, they found the bears outside the store and in the neighbourhood and they tranquilized and assessed both bears.

The Conservation Service said that the mother bear was “confirmed to be the same animal that entered the store and with a conflict history in the area” and she was euthanized.

The cub was released into a “wilderness area” according to conservation officers.

“Bears that learn to associate people with food, frequent populated areas and enter homes or stores are not candidates for relocation or rehabilitation, due to the risk to public safety,” the Conservation Service said in a statement.