CODY, Wyo. — An adult male grizzly bear was relocated by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) on Friday, May 16, according to an announcement by the agency.
The bear was captured due to cattle depredation on private land near Cody, WGFD shared. It was released in the Glade Creek drainage, approximately 2.5 miles south of Yellowstone National Park, with cooperation from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
This is the second grizzly relocation WGFD has conducted so far this spring. An adult male grizzly was relocated on May 2, also related to “conflict management efforts for cattle depredation,” the agency wrote. That bear was moved from the Cody region to the Ghost Creek drainage, about 60 miles northwest of Cody.
According to WGFD, grizzlies are relocated to prevent conflicts between bears and humans, a critical part of managing Wyoming’s growing grizzly bear population. Bears that are considered a threat to human safety are typically not relocated, and instead are removed from the population. Bears are relocated for reasons including livestock depredation, habituated roadside behavior and more.
WGFD stresses the importance of the public’s responsibility in bear management. Wyomingites should keep all attractants (including food, trash, horse feed and bird seed) unavailable to bears.
For more information on grizzly bear management and reducing the potential for conflicts, see WGFD’s Bear Wise Wyoming webpage.
