CODY, Wyo. — After consultation with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) captured and relocated an adult male grizzly bear on May 4, the department announced Friday.
According to WGFD, the bear was captured for attacking cattle on private land and relocated in the Sunlight Creek drainage approximately 30 miles from the northeast entrance of Yellowstone National Park.
Game and Fish announced the relocation on May 6, explaining that relocation as a management tool is used when other deterrent or prevention options are exhausted.
“Bears that are considered a threat to human safety are not relocated. In some cases, a bear may be removed from the population if it cannot be relocated successfully,” said WGFD in the announcement.
The relocation site is determined by the age, sex and type of conflict the bear was involved in and human activity nearby.
Grizzly bears are only relocated into areas already occupied by other grizzly bears says Game and Fish.
With grizzly bear territories expanding, the public plays an integral part in bear management. Human-bear conflicts and relocations can be reduced by securing all attractants such as food, garbage, horse feed and bird seed.
WGFD is required to notify the public when a grizzly is relocated.
