Sweet-Toothed Bear Wanted in Bakery Thefts

TORONTO (Reuters) - A black bear with a sweet tooth has three times smashed down the doors of a small bakery in rural Ontario to satisfy his craving for cakes and doughnuts.

Tourism officials in Owen Sound, a popular resort area on the edge of the Great Lakes, said the bear had ripped out doors and broken windows to get into Shirley Broadfoot's bakery to feast on bread, pastries and the blueberry fritters -- the shop's best-seller.

The bear, part of a population of about 500 in the Bruce Peninsula area some 120 miles north of Toronto, is estimated to have caused about $6,500 in damages.

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``Bears are known to be attracted to people's garbage, and here we have special containers to keep them out, but this bear has been drawn by the aroma coming from the bakery, which is located in bear territory,'' said Chris Hughes, tourism coordinator for Bruce County.

``This is a big bear because it's ripping the frames off the doors and tying to punch through the building.''

Hughes said Broadfoot had erected steel doors to keep the bear out, and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources has baited a trap with honey to catch the animal alive.

In Canada, bears found in populated areas are usually captured and transported to more remote areas.

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