Idaho Fish and Game traps grizzly and two yearling cubs near Chester - East Idaho News
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Idaho Fish and Game traps grizzly and two yearling cubs near Chester

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The following is a press release from Idaho Fish and Game.

CHESTER – A sow grizzly and her two yearling cubs that had been previously relocated for getting into human-related foods near Cody, Wyoming were trapped on Thursday, Oct. 8, near Chester.

The bears had been relocated by Wyoming Game & Fish to the Jedidiah Smith Wilderness in Wyoming on September 21, but immediately moved to lower elevations outside of Ashton and Chester where they repeatedly sought out apple trees at rural residences. Because of their continued close proximity to residences and their repeated seeking out of human-related foods the decision was made by the Idaho Department of Fish & Game (IDFG), in conjunction with the United States Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) to trap the bears.

All three bears were trapped in a single effort and IDFG personnel, along with assistance from the Fremont Country Sheriff’s Office helped process the animals. Because of demonstrated habituation to human-related food and her poor physical condition the thirteen year-old sow was euthanized to prevent potential future conflicts with humans. The yearlings were being evaluated by a member of the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team (IGBST) to determine how the bears might survive on their own if relocated and released again.

The challenge for wildlife managers is that while the Yellowstone Ecosystem is large, it has only limited release sites for problem grizzlies. Once a bear has learned a negative behavior it is extremely difficult to relocate that animal to a place where it cannot get into a similar problem situation or even head back to where it originally was trapped.

In this case, the relocation of the bears only delayed the inevitable decision about what to do with bears that have become too comfortable around humans. The decision to euthanize the sow was not made lightly but underlies the ongoing challenge of managing a population that has exceeded all recovery goals set under the Endangered Species Act.

Since grizzly bears are listed as “Threatened” under the Endangered Species Act, consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is required and all efforts are made to minimize the chance of future conflicts and maximize the survival potential of the relocated grizzlies. Bears are relocated in accordance with federal laws and regulations.

The fact that these bears were spending so much of their time near humans and were trapped on private property means that the potential for conflict with humans was high.

Rural residents are reminded that while these bears have been trapped and removed, possibly other grizzlies and certainly black bears roam the Upper Snake Region, and it is always important to think about being in bear country.

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