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Polar bear causes panic, killed at park in Canada
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-06-26 10:09

OTTAWA - A polar bear caused panic in a park filled with children in northern Canada Wednesday before it was shot and killed, reports reaching here said.

The incident happened at Sylvia Grinnell Territorial Parklocated in the suburbs of Iqaluit, capital city of the Nunavat Territory. About 37 kids from a nearby school were having a picnic there, besides other visitors.

The students were running up and down a hill when two employees from the park raised the alarm after spotting the bear rooting through the contents of a garbage can.

Conservation officers and the police arrived on the scene and decided that given so many people were in the vicinity of the polar bear, that there was no choice but to kill the animal.

Conservation officer Johnny Nowdlak skinned the polar bear and doled out the skin and meat to nearby residents. He estimated that it was male, about 10 years old. It appeared to be healthy and was likely looking for food in the park, he said.

Meanwhile, the school picnic resumed without incident.