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NEWMARKET, Ont. — After working through the morning Monday to contain a black bear roaming through Newmarket — about 50 kilometres north of Toronto — York Regional Police killed the animal as it climbed down a tree.

Police say they had “no other options” but to kill the bear, which had been cornered in a backyard in Newmarket.

The bear was in the London Road area of Newmarket. They’d been urging residents to stay away.

The officers were waiting for Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) staff. The ministry reportedly showed up just minutes after the bear was shot.

“Officers do not have tranquilizers or other options for dealing with wildlife,” York police wrote on Twitter. “We could not let the bear harm a person while waiting for MNR.”

The police force attempted to acquire a tranquilizer on Saturday when they were initially notified about the bear, Const. Laura Nicolle said in an interview with the National Post, but the efforts were unsuccessful as none of the groups the officers contacted had the tools available to deal with a black bear.