JACKSON, Wyo. — Three grizzly bears were captured near Dubois and relocated to an area south of Yellowstone National Park on Saturday, Sept. 27, according to a press release from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD).
The bears, an adult female and her two female cubs, were relocated due to their close proximity to residential areas and the town of Dubois.
“They were not involved in any conflicts, but moved preemptively,” WGFD stated.
Along with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Caribou-Targhee National Forest, WGFD moved the bears to the Grassy Lake drainage, about a half-mile south of the Yellowstone National Park boundary.
On Tuesday, WGFD put out a statement urging residents of Fremont County to secure attractants as bear activity had been escalating.
“We have seen increased bear activity at lower elevations this year from Dubois to Lander, mainly with bears focusing on natural foods,” said Large Carnivore Conflict Coordinator Brian DeBolt. “We are asking people to be careful about storing anything that might attract bears to unnatural food sources.”
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.
