The two animals, which were initially seen around Valka and later in Smiltene municipality, were successfully sedated and afterwards let out in separate forests far from each other. They were also allocated ear tags with identification numbers "to make it easier to recognize them if they approach farmsteads", Latvian public broadcaster LSM reported on Monday.

Gita Strode, director of the Latvian Nature Conservation Agency (DAP), said the pair likely come from "a sheltered area in Estonia".

Sedation under the supervision of certified veterinarians was carried out by two experienced specialists from Latvia and Estonia. 

The plan of relocation of bears involved experts from Latvia, Estonia, Russia, Germany and Canada.

The pair of young bears were first noted near the Estonian border in late September, where they entered gardens and ate plums while not reacting to warning shots from hunters or any other scare tactics. The bears also tipped over an outhouse.

An eventual plan to scare the bears away did not work exactly as planned as the duo ran to the neighboring Smiltene municipality and continued to wreak havoc there. LSM reported on Monday, however, that the bears were captured and sedated, after which they were relocated to an unpublished location.

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