Grizzly Bear killed in train collision in northwestern Montana
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The following is a news release from Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.
KALISPELL, Montana — A male grizzly bear was killed in a train collision earlier this week on the railroad tracks near West Glacier, Montana.
The 2-year-old bear was wearing a GPS radio collar, which notified Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks of the animal’s location near Nyack Flats. The collision occurred on the evening of Sept. 10. FWP personnel retrieved the carcass the next morning and confirmed the cause of death through a necropsy. FWP notified BNSF Railway and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The bear was originally captured and fitted with a radio collar at the end of May east of Bigfork and it was translocated to the east side of Hungry Horse Reservoir.
So far this year, 33 grizzly bear deaths have been identified in the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem due to a variety of circumstances, including management action, collisions, and augmentation. Bears are classified as mortalities if they die, are taken to an accredited zoo or research facility if possible, or euthanized. One to two bears are targeted annually for relocation to the Cabinet-Yaak Ecosystem as part of an augmentation program.
The NCDE is home to more than 1,000 grizzly bears. The NCDE is a designated grizzly bear recovery zone that spans Glacier National Park, parts of the Flathead and Blackfeet Indian Reservations, parts of five national forests and a significant amount of state and private lands.
FWP maintains a population monitoring program and follows protocols and management objectives that are designed to maintain a healthy grizzly bear population in the NCDE. This includes tracking known deaths, whether bears are killed or removed from the population for a variety of circumstances, and notifying the public.
Right now, bears are actively seeking food sources before the winter denning season, and residents are urged to reduce or secure attractants. FWP Region 1 has recently seen an uptick in reports of bears approaching food sources, such as fruit trees and garbage.
More safety information is available on the FWP website. Residents of eastern Idaho can call Fish and Game regional offices to learn more about bears or to report bear activity at (208) 525-7290.