Conservation officers have set out live traps after reports of seven bears wandering into public areas in the La Ronge region this week.

Wednesday afternoon, a three-year-old male black bear was destroyed by conservation officers after wandering close to Gordon Denny Community School in Air Ronge.

Saskatchewan Environment compliance manager Daryl Minter says the children were kept inside the school during the noon hour when the animal was destroyed:

“It’s just not safe to have a bear that close.  So the decision was made at that time, because the bear really had nowhere to go quickly from there without getting into more back yards and interaction with the public.”

Minter says shortly after the incident in Air Ronge, another call was received from north of La Ronge:

“A sow with three cubs at the beach at Wadin Bay. There was a young lady there with several small children and they quickly got back into their van and stayed there until the bear moseyed away.”

Minter says live traps have been set out for the sow and cubs, and for a male seen in the area of Nemeiben Lake.

He says yet another male bear seen at Nemeiben has already been trapped and relocated.