Bear break-in shakes south end Sudbury neighbourhood

Morning North9:16Three bears killed in one night in Sudbury

It was a very different sort of break and enter. We'll head to a Sudbury neighbourhood where a bear was shot and killed after breaking into someone's home.Some people in Sudbury say hungry bears are making them feel trapped in their homes.

On Monday night,police shot a black bear and its cub in the south end of the city, after the animals broke into someone's house.

That came just hours after police shot another bear in a New Sudburyneighbourhood.

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The next door neighbour to the house that was broken into said she's not surprised the animals tried what they did.

"It's not the bear's fault. The bear is hungry. The bear's got cubs. She needs to feed them," Ellen Nelson said.

"But we need to live, too. We can't be cooped up in our house all summer. I don't pick blueberries anymore. I don't walk on the street. People with pets are uncomfortable, they're nervous about taking their dogs out for walks."

In the 40 years she has lived in the neighbourhood, Nelson said she's "never seen a situation like this."

"We've called the MNR endlessly and they say they cant do anything about it," she said.

"Just keep your garbage in and don't put out birdfeeders. Well, we all do that. They're hungry and there are no berries in the bush and they're getting aggressive."

Bears likely attracted by baking smells

Nelson was the one who phoned police when she first noticed the bear and its cub trying to break in to her neighbour's house.

She watched from her living room as the bear and its cub were shot by officers.

"They were just very patient and waited till the bear came out and shot it. And it was sad," she said.

Sudbury police sergeant Randy Hosken said police knew they had to shoot the two bears.

"The bear is now showing a willingness to break into a home to find food. So that, in our minds, is a grave risk to public safety," he said.

Homeowner Lise Kari said she's grateful that the police did what they had to.

"They did the job they were supposed to do, or the house would have been ransacked," she said.

"If it would have been a burglar, the house would have been ransacked."

Hosken said there was a strong odour of baking coming from the house.

"We later learned that the occupant of the residence does bake for a living," he said.

"So that's more than likely what attracted the bears to the residence."

Neighbours like Nelson are now worrying there may be more cubs on the prowl in the neighbourhood, as some have reported seeing a bear with two or three cubs.

The Ministry of Natural Resources reports it has been trying to trap bears in the area.