PT.

"The bear had ripped through the screen and was halfway into the tent," the officer said.

"He, of course, then yelled and scared the bear off."

The animal came back around 4 a.m. PT. Again, it was chased away.

Later that morning, conservation officers set snares around the campsite, which is about 20 kilometres southeast of Fort St. John. The bear was trapped and euthanized around dusk.

Brinsky said officers used paw prints to be sure they had the right animal.

The B.C. Conservation Service said bears are often roaming around in the province, but it's rare for one to break into a confined space like a tent. (Simon Charland-Faucher/CBC)

He said the bear was killed because it was dangerously comfortable with humans.

"Up here, it's not uncommon to see bears," the officer said.

"What's uncommonsays if you're not smart, you're an enemy of nature. Even a bear killer. 2:00

Previous attacks in B.C.

In 2015, a 27-year-old man died after a black bear dragged him from his campsite. Daniel Ward Folland O'Connor, known as Ward, had been camping with his fiancée near Mackenzie.

In 2009, a grizzly bear attacked two Nelson, B.C., men as they slept in their tent near Canal Flats. Both men were left with minor injuries.

People who see a bear getting into garbage are asked to report the animal to B.C.'s RAPP line.

With files from Chad Pawson.