CODY, Wyo. — A young male grizzly bear was captured and relocated to an area outside of Cody on Saturday, Oct. 11, according to a statement by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD).
After consulting with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), WGFD captured the subadult grizzly on private land in Park County. The bear had been “frequenting a housing area and, after multiple hazing attempts, failed to change its behavior.”
In coordination with FWS and the Shoshone National Forest, the bear was relocated to the Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone River drainage, about 50 miles northwest of Cody. There have been multiple relocation efforts of grizzly bears in the Shoshone National Forest region since the summer.
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.
