GREAT FALLS — Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks successfully relocated two grizzly bears and euthanized a third in the north Flathead region recently.
The agency said in a news release that on October 22, they captured a four-year-old male grizzly bear near Rhodes Draw west of Kalispell after it broke into residential chicken coops. FWP moved the 298-pound grizzly bear to the Packers Roost area in Glacier National Park after consulting with the National Park Service and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. The bear did not have any history of conflict with humans, and was fitted with a radio collar.
An adult female grizzly bear was euthanized on October 25 in Ferndale near Bigfork after the bear became food conditioned near residences. FWP said they captured the bear for a second time after it returned to the Ferndale area and approached residences. It had also been captured in early October after breaking into chicken coops and killing chickens on residential property. At that time, the bear was moved to a remote area near the Spotted Bear River.
In accordance with Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee guidelines and in consultation with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, FWP euthanized the 350-pound bear due to food conditioning, which occurs when wildlife lose natural foraging habits.
A 103-pound female cub was accompanying the adult female, and FWP captured the cub on October 26. FWP moved the cub to the Deep Creek area on the east side of Hungry Horse Reservoir. The bear was fitted with a GPS radio collar.
Click here for more information about grizzly bears at the FWP website.
- Two grizzlies will be relocated after livestock death near Valier
- 2 grizzly bears relocated from the Flathead Valley
- Grizzly bear spotted north of Conrad captured, relocated
- Grizzly bear killed after raiding occupied back-country camps west of Augusta
- 2 grizzly bear attacks within 12 hours in Montana
- Grizzly bear euthanized; 2 cubs sent to Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center
From August 2018:
