Editor’s Note: Anthropogenic attractants (mentioned in this story) are items such as garbage, bird feeders, domestic fruit trees, chickens and livestock.
CODY, Wyo. — A subadult male grizzly bear that was captured for conflict with anthropogenic attractants on private land was relocated Saturday by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.
The grizz was moved to the Fox Creek area, just eight miles from the northeast entrance of Yellowstone.
Carnivore biologists relocate grizzly bears as a management tool to minimize conflicts between humans and grizzly bears. In this case, other preventative options were exhausted or unattainable and relocation was the best option.
When an animal is captured, all circumstances are taken into account when determining if the individual should be relocated. If relocation is warranted, a site is determined by considering the age, sex and type of conflict the bear was involved in as well as potential human activity nearby.
Grizzly bears are only relocated into the recovery zone or adjacent areas. With any relocation, Game and Fish consults with appropriate agencies to minimize the chance of future conflicts and maximize the relocated grizzly bear’s survival.
Wildlife officials explain that relocation is critical in managing the expanding population of grizzly bears in Wyoming. At the beginning of the month, Game and Fish similarly relocated a male grizzly from Cody to an area near the east entrance of Yellowstone.
However, 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.
Last week, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service confirmed that Grizzly 1057, an offspring of Grizzly 399 was euthanized on July 12. According to officials the bear had become “increasingly bold and habituated to humans.”
According to the Service, Wyoming Game and Fish Department requested authorization for the removal of the grizzly following 13 documented conflicts since May 2022.
“Game and Fish continues to stress the importance of the public’s responsibility in bear management and the importance of keeping all attractants such as food, garbage, horse feed and bird seed unavailable to bears,” said Game and Fish. “Reducing attractants available to bears reduces human-bear conflicts, and in some cases, relocations.”
