The bear was first sighted in the village of Majiagang in the city of Mishan near the China-Russia border early today causing panic among local residents.
The bear later wandered into the nearby villages of Shijuzi and Lihu. More than 300 local residents were evacuated after the 2-meter-tall bear entered their villages.
The bear was later driven into a pinewood grove by police officers.
"The distance from the grove to the villagers' houses is less than 100 meters. Since local authorities in Mishan have no tranquiliser rifles, the local forestry department was given permission by the provincial forestry department to shoot the bear out of safety considerations," Liu Li, vice director of Mishan's municipal forestry department told state-run Xinhua news agency.