NH Wildlife Officer Kills Bear That Entered Home With 2-Year-Old Inside

JACKSON, N.H. (CBS) – A Fish and Game officer was forced to shoot and kill a young bear that broke into a New Hampshire home while a woman and her 2-year-old daughter were inside.

Saturday afternoon a bear got into a Jackson home by pushing in a screen on the first floor.

Jackson Police responded to the Wildflower Lane home and safely got the child out. The mother had already escaped.

After making its way into the house, the bear was going through trash. An officer was able to shoo the bear out of the house.

Once the animal was outside, an officer shot it with a rubber bullet and the bear ran off. A short time later, Fish and Game arrived to search for the bear.

The bear came back and was about 20 feet from the house, pacing back and forth. It appeared the bear was trying to get back in the house, so a Fish and Game officer fatally shot the bear.

According to New Hampshire Fish and Game, there was a "public safety concern" because the bear, which weighed less than 100 pounds, appeared to be unafraid of people.

There is no evidence anything in the house was out in the open that would have attracted the bear. The bear appeared to just be young and curious.

Jackson Police said there has been a recent increase of bear activity in town.