One grizzly relocated, another bear killed

By KARIN RONNOW Chronicle Staff Writer

A “nuisance” grizzly bear trapped in the Soda Butte Campground east of Cooke City Tuesday will be moved to a bear-research center in Washington state, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks announced Thursday.

An aggressive black bear in Yellowstone National Park, however, wasn’t quite so lucky. Park officials announced Thursday that a 130-pound young-adult male black bear that was caught tearing into hikers’ backpacks had been killed.

The Yellowstone bear, recognizable by its distinct brown-black coloring, had been getting food from hikers' backpacks and damaging property in the Hellroaring and Yellowstone River drainages in the north end of the park, according to park officials.

Late Wednesday afternoon, “park staff caught this bear in the act of ripping into the packs of a large group of backcountry hikers,” according to a press release. “Based on his aggressive behavior, lack of fear of people, and success at getting human food, the decision was made to immediately

euthanize the bear. The area was cleared of all visitors and the bear was shot.”

It was the second black bear euthanized by park officials since July 10.

Meanwhile, just north of the park, near Cooke City, state wildlife officials had been hunting for the Soda Butte bear ever since July 17, when a man sleeping in a tent in the campground was bit by a bear. The man’s hands were wounded and he was taken to a Cody, Wyo., hospital for treatment.

The Soda Butte and nearby Chief Joseph campgrounds were evacuated and closed by the U.S. Forest Service and FWP moved in to set up bear traps.

On Tuesday, a young-adult female grizzly was caught in a trap right at the site of the bear attack five days prior.

“We attempted to target a bear in close proximity to the campground and not draw in bears from a broader area,” said Kevin Frey, FWP bear management specialist. “The more time that goes by without nuisance bear activity in the area, the more likely it is that this bear was involved in the incident” that injured the camper.

The bear, known as Bear No. 495, had previously been captured and collared in Wyoming in 2005, following an incident with dead livestock, according to FWP.

   “Because this bear was captured at the site of the incident, relocation back into the wild was not an option,” according to FWP press release.

That meant FWP had two options: euthanize the bear or find a captive facility.

The Washington State University bear-research center in Pullman n which takes bears for health and nutrition studies to help wild-grizzly researchers and managers n agreed to take Bear No. 495.

“The bears are well-cared for and have plenty of room outside for feeding and exercise.” Frey said.

Park and state wildlife officials urge anyone in bear country to secure food so bears can’t get to it, using bear-proof storage boxes hung above ground, or a vehicle.

“Food rewards lead to habituated behavior in bears,” according to FWP.

Park regulations also require visitors to stay a hundred yards - the length of a football field - away from black and grizzly bears at all times.

“Due to deep snows last winter, in combination with the very late spring we experienced this year, many bears are in poor shape, making it more likely that they will seek human foods,” according to the park press release.

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