'Copper' the bear and her 2 cubs successfully relocated: N.W.T. wildlife officials

A mother bear, given the name Copper because she had been spending time behind the Copperhouse restaurant in Yellowknife with her two cubs, has been safely relocated, according to wildlife officials.

Mike Westwick, a spokesperson for the N.W.T.'s Department of Environment and Natural Resources (ENR), told CBC News that a wildlife veterinarian, four ENR officers and two biologists headed to the business shortly before 7 p.m. Friday to capture the trio.

"In this case, we were dealing with a populated area — the bears were naturally quite skittish by all the action going on — and a very protective mom, of course," Westwick explained.

The family was first spotted on Thursday near the airport, where ENR said one of the animals had aggressively charged an individual.

Adding to the challenge of capturing the bears near the restaurant, said Westwick, was the fact that one of cubs had climbed up a tree.

"Naturally, it's a pretty scary situation — Mom had been tranquilized already and the cub was looking for some safety," he said.

However, wildlife officers are able to handle "hairy situations when it comes to wildlife interactions," said Westwick.