SHERIDAN, Wyo. — A food-conditioned black bear that was frequenting a camping area in the Bighorn National Forest was lethally removed from the population last month, according to a recent update from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD). The bear had previously attempted to enter camping tents less than 5 miles away.
On the evening of July 23, WGFD responded to a report of the black bear hanging around a campsite off Forest System Road 15 for multiple nights. The reporting party said the bear had been accessing food and showing a lack of fear of humans. Later that evening, WGFD personnel killed the bear near the camp, and a tissue sample was sent to the agency’s Wildlife Forensic Laboratory in Laramie.
Last Wednesday, lab results confirmed that the bear’s DNA matched the DNA from a saliva sample collected after a previous incident on July 5. That evening, the bear tried to enter two different tents while they were occupied with campers in the Fool Creek area, about 4.5 miles away from the July 23 occurrence. After the initial Fool Creek incident was reported, WGFD set multiple traps in that location, intending to capture and euthanize the bear to protect public safety. Personnel also notified campers in the vicinity of the ongoing situation.
“Unfortunately, warning signs indicating that bear trapping was taking place in the area were removed by unknown members of the public, which could have created a safety issue for other members of the public who did not receive notice of bear trapping taking place,” WGFD said in a statement. “It is also possible that by spending time in the vicinity of the traps, the individuals may have interfered with the opportunity to capture the bear. Traps were removed on July 8 and additional signage was placed in the area to advise campers of the previous conflict.”
During both conflicts, the bear’s reported behavior suggests that it was food-conditioned and had likely received human-provided food rewards in the past. WGFD states that food-conditioned bears can become destructive and dangerous in attempts to obtain more human food.
These incidents serve as a reminder that all attractants should be securely stored to prevent animal access. Follow smart practices when camping and recreating in bear country to reduce the potential for a conflict. All local conflicts with bears should be reported as quickly as possible to Jackson WGFD personnel at (307) 733-2321.
