Fish and Game kills Idaho grizzly bear, two cubs that showed ‘little fear of humans’
The Idaho Department of Fish and Game last week killed a sow grizzly bear and her two cubs over concerns that they’d become habituated to humans, agency officials said in a news release.
The bears were killed near Tetonia, a small town abut 65 miles northeast of Idaho Falls, on Nov. 9 and 10. It’s the second time this year that Fish and Game has killed a female grizzly and offspring. The agency euthanized another bear and her yearling cub in Island Park in May after “multiple food-related conflicts.”
Fish and Game said the bears killed last week had been the subject of concern in Wyoming and Montana before moving into Idaho. The agency said the trio frequented the Mammoth area of Yellowstone National Park this fall “and exhibited habituation to developed residential areas.” The bears were later spotted in Gardiner, Montana, and frequently foraged for food near homes.
The bears were trapped and relocated south of West Yellowstone, Montana — near the Idaho border — on Oct. 17. The adult bear was fitted with a GPS collar that allowed officials to track her movement to the Tetonia area. Fish and Game said the family continued to spend “considerable time” near people.
The agency said euthanasia “is never a desired outcome” but added that no relocation sites were available for the bears in Idaho. Spokesperson James Brower told the Statesman there is not a relocation area in Idaho that would have provided sufficient distance from humans considering the bears’ history of habituation.
This story was originally published November 14, 2022 at 5:56 PM.
