The Wyoming Game and Fish Department has relocated an adult male grizzly bear from an undisclosed location in Wyoming to an area near Yellowstone National Park.
The bear was captured May 4 because it had been killing cattle on private land. The animal was released in the Sunlight Creek drainage about 30 miles from Yellowstone’s northeast entrance.
Sunlight Creek is a tributary of the Clarks Fork Yellowstone River, an area known for its diversity of wildlife.
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In a news release, the WGFD stated that the relocation was performed after consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Bears are relocated to minimize conflicts with humans and such efforts are “critical to managing the expanding population of grizzly bears in Wyoming.”
The WGFD added: “Capture is necessary when other deterrent or preventative options are exhausted or unattainable. Once the 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.”
The WGFD emphasized that grizzly bears are relocated only to areas already inhabited by grizzly bears. Bears that are deemed a threat to humans are typically euthanized, not relocated.
–Grizzly bear image is generic, courtesy of the NPS
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