CODY, Wyo. — A subadult male grizzly was captured and relocated in the Cody region on Aug. 15, according to an announcement by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD).
The grizz was captured for cattle depredation on Forest Service lands in Fremont County, WGFD said. The agency coordinated with the Shoshone National Forest and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in relocating the bear to the Mormon Creek drainage, approximately 5 miles away from the east entrance of Yellowstone National Park.
Another grizzly was moved to Mormon Creek in mid-July. Other grizzly relocations this summer have placed bears in Glade Creek and Ghost Creek drainages.
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.
