The most famous bear in Whistler, B.C. has been shot dead by a conservation officer after weeks of aggressive behaviour.
Jeanie the black bear, known for the iconic patch of white fur on her chest, was shot last week after being caught in a trap and tranquilized. Her cub was sent to the Critter Care Wildlife rescue centre in Langley for rehabilitation.
Jeanie has been seen around Whistler for about 20 years and had been moved several times by conservation officers in recent years to an area along the edge of Whistler's boundaries.
Jeanie had her own Facebook page (Friends of Jeanie the bear) and her followers reacted in both sadness and anger over her death.
"It is really most upsetting that we could not save a Whistler icon!" Liz Barrett wrote.
Other argued that Jeanie's behaviour was growing increasingly problematic.
"It would be terrible to not feel safe in your own workplace - even if we all logically know that Jeanie wouldn't fatally harm someone, can you imagine how you would feel being charged at by such a powerful animal?" Danni Kinsman wrote.
The administrator for the group said the Get Bear Smart Society had asked conservation officers to move Jeanie to a remote area as recently as late September.
The trap was set for Jeanie after she broke in to Roundhouse Lodge on Whistler Mountain and another restaurant in the village. She also bluff charged some employees of the restaurants.
Some of her Facebook followers wondered if an illness may have been responsible for her recent behaviour as she seemed to be a healthy weight, so food should not have been an issue.
Jeanie was a famously docile bear and was a popular tourist attraction. She was also very fertile, and often seen with a cub.
The Get Bear Smart Society has created a Jeanie's Memorial Fund. For more information, visit the Friends of Jeanie the Bear Facebook page.
