Simsbury — A black bear was euthanized on Friday after it entered a home through an open window and ransacked it searching for food, police said.

Officers from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection responded to the home on Old Canal Way and euthanized the bear when it exited the home, police said.

Officers responded to the home around 1 p.m., after receiving a 911 call from a homeowner who reported a bear in their house. No one was in the house at the time, and the caller was directed to a safe location, police said.

The bear was still inside when officers arrived, and they were able to determine that it had entered the home through a window using the back deck, police said.

Police called for assistance from DEEP officers, who determined that the bear was a female without ear tags or a radio collar. No cubs were seen in the area, DEEP said.

Due to the danger presented by a bear inside a home, DEEP said it is policy to euthanize bears that enter homes. Once bears associate people and homes with food, they are more likely to enter homes and pose a serious public safety threat, DEEP said.

Afterward, the bear was transported to DEEP's Sessions Woods wildlife facility to be examined.

Police reminded residents not to approach bears or other large animals, and to call 911 if an animal becomes aggressive to themselves or others.

Photos and videos of bears that show up on social media in Connecticut often have them going after bird feeders. But bears are also attracted to other human sources of food, such as garbage, pet food stored outside, and grills.