Bear shot dead in west Ottawa neighbourhood

A bear was killed in west Ottawa on Monday evening after city police unsuccessfully tried to remove it from a residential area, the force announced.

The bear was shot by police, according to Coun. Laine Johnson.

The bear is believed to have been the same bear spotted in several west Ottawa neighbourhoods recently, police said in a tweet that night.

Ottawa's bylaw department posted on social media last week about a bear in the Bells Corners area, specifying on Friday that it was spotted around Bell High School. 

It said the bear was looking for food, that people should consider removing food sources from backyards and it was working with partners to humanely live trap and relocate the bear.

On Wednesday, the department said the bear left the area on its own.

On Monday evening, police said they were called to an unspecified area of Kanata about a bear near homes, and deemed it to be a "significant public safety risk."

"Our officers worked diligently to safely remove the bear from the area, but unfortunately, after exhausting all available options, it became clear that the animal could not be safely relocated.

"Regrettably, the bear had to be put down to ensure the safety of residents in the surrounding area. We understand that this is not the outcome anyone would have wanted, but it was a necessary action to prevent harm to our community."

"From what I understand from the police, they sought outside resources, and without those in place ... the officer had to make a decision based on public safety, and shot the bear multiple times and killed the bear," Johnson said.

In its Monday night tweet, police said the force appreciates the concern from residents about what happened.