Imagine sitting in traffic on your way to or back from work. Sure, being stuck behind a million cars is boring, but at least you know it’ll clear up soon, and you’ll be on your way. Unfortunately for a road full of commuters in Butte, Montana, that reassurance was lost when a runaway elephant escaped from a nearby traveling circus and ran wild in the street.
This cartoonish incident occurred on Tuesday, April 16. According to the BBC and local news reports, Butte Civic Center manager Bill Melvin claimed the elephant was loose for roughly 10 minutes before returning to its trailer.
Watch one witness’s amused account of the fiasco in the wild video below.
Note: The featured image is a stock photo used to illustrate the story.
Glacier National Park’s Avalanche Lake Trail is one of the best hikes in Montana. Some hikers may even consider it the best hike in America. Join us on a trek through the woods to see what makes Avalanche Lake so special.
Two key factors help determine a trail’s popularity: accessibility and scenery. Spectacular views draw people to a trail, and accessibility ensures that those visitors can actually enjoy exploring the trail. While few trails are accessible to all people, the Avalanche Lake hike’s moderate difficulty makes it manageable for a wide audience of hikers. Plus, the Trail of the Cedars section of the hike is accessible using off-road wheelchairs.
Now, let’s dive into the scenery you can look forward to during your Avalanche Lake hike. If you’re looking for crystal clear waters and breathtaking natural landscapes, you’re in luck. Here are seven photos showing off the best of Glacier National Park’s Avalanche Lake hike.
Montana authorities are hoping that an increased reward will help them catch the person who killed one of the state’s rarest animals.
Montana authorities are hoping that an increased reward will lead to the identification of the person who killed a protected wolverine – one of the state’s rare animals.
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks announced last week that the wolverine carcass was discovered Nov. 10 on a U.S. Forest Service Road northwest of Wisdom.
The animal had been shot, skinned, and left to waste.
On Monday the Center for Biodiversity announced that it had helped the state increase the reward “for information leading to a successful prosecution” from $1,000 to $11,000.
“The wolverine was shot dead and skinned along a closed U.S. Forest Service road on the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest,” the Center for Biodiversity stated via social media. “Scientists estimate wolverine populations in the lower 48 may be fewer than 300 animals, making this death significant.”
The elusive mammals inhabit mostly remote, high-altitude terrain and encounters with humans are rare.
Authorities in Montana are seeking public assistance in identifying the person responsible for the illegal killing of a wolverine.
Authorities in Montana are seeking public assistance in identifying the person responsible for illegally killing a wolverine.
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks on Thursday said the wolverine carcass was discovered Nov. 10 on U.S. Forest Service Road 7377, northwest of Wisdom.
The animal had been shot, skinned, and left to rot.
Wolverines, described by Fish, Wildlife & Parks as “one of Montana’s rarest animals,” are protected and cannot be legally hunted or trapped.
The stout mammals, which inhabit mostly remote, high-altitude regions of Alaska, Canada, and the northwest continental U.S., are elusive and encounters are rare.
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks
Their populations and movements are poorly understood, but studies have shown that they roam long distances while expanding home ranges.
Wolverines are almost bear-like in appearance and can be ferocious. Fish, Wildlife & Parks states on its website: “Some describe a wolverine as an animal with a thousand pounds of attitude in a 30-pound body.”
According to the National Wildlife Federation, resident populations exist in Alaska, Canada and Russia, as well as Washington, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, and a small portion of Oregon.
A wolverine sighting in Yellowstone National Park early last March generated lots of excitement because sightings in the park are so rare.
Wisdom is located about 200 miles northwest of Yellowstone.
–Generic wolverine images courtesy of Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks
A Montana hunter has killed a grizzly bear in self-defense near where the animal had been digging a hibernation den.
A Montana hunter shot and killed a grizzly bear in apparent self-defense Saturday as the bruin charged the hunter.
According to Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, the adult female grizzly bear, which had no history of conflict with humans, “appeared to be digging a den where the encounter took place.”
Grizzly bears are foraging in advance of hibernation and the hunter apparently surprised the animal. The incident occurred near Ennis in the Gravelly Range in Madison County.
Gravelly Range in Montana
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks stated in a news release: “This time of year is when bears are active for longer periods as they prepare for hibernation.
“This period overlaps with hunting season and other fall recreation activities. Hunters should be aware that bears will remain active throughout the general [hunting] season.”
Grizzly bears are federally protected under the Endangered Species Act and can only be killed legally in cases of self-defense.
The incident is under investigation by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
–Generic grizzly bear image courtesy of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
A Montana field investigation following the Sept. 8 mauling of a man by a grizzly bear has failed to locate a dead or injured bear.
A Montana field investigation following the Sept. 8 mauling of a man by a grizzly bear has failed to locate the bear believed responsible for the attack.
Rudy Noorlander was seriously injured during the attack in the Madison Range south of Big Sky. He remains in critical but stable condition.
One of Noorlander’s companions fired at the bear moments after it attacked, causing the animal to flee.
KateLynn Noorlander, Rudy’s daughter, has launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for medical costs. She stated that her father was trying to help hunters locate a deer they had shot when the bear charged him during a surprise encounter.
“Rudy aimed his gun at the bear but his firearm misfired, making his best choice of defense his fists as he did not have any time to get his bear spray from his backpack,” KateLynn stated in the GoFundMe post.
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks explained Wednesday in a news release that an aerial search failed to locate a dead or injured bear.
“FWP grizzly bear specialists and game wardens, as well deputies from the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office, revisited the attack site Tuesday,” FWP stated. “They searched the area near the attack site from the ground and with an infrared drone and didn’t locate a dead or wounded bear.
“However, they found signs of high bear activity, including the remains of a cached animal carcass, whitebark pine middens and bear scat. This evidence indicates the bear attacked defensively in a surprise, close encounter with the victim.”
The investigation has concluded but the area remains under an emergency closure implemented by the Custer Gallatin National Forest.
In the past three weeks, sportsmen in Montana and Idaho have killed three protected grizzly bears in apparent cases of self-defense.
In the past three weeks, sportsmen in Montana and Idaho have killed three protected grizzly bears in apparent cases of self-defense.
The latest incident occurred Sept. 1, when two elk hunters in Idaho killed a grizzly bear after a surprise encounter in dense brush west of Island Park Reservoir.
The hunters were targeting elk with archery equipment but used sidearms to dispatch the bear.
The Idaho Department of Fish and Game stated in a news release that after “a thorough investigation” the hunters’ actions were deemed to have been in self-defense.
(Grizzly bears are protected by state and federal law.)
On Sept. 2 in Montana, an angler shot and killed a grizzly bear after a surprise encounter on private land along Tim Miner Creek, north of Yellowstone National Park.
On August 26, two Montana hunters shot and killed a female grizzly bear while scouting in the Whitefish Range in advance of fall hunting seasons for legal game.
Both hunters opened fire when the bear charged; one was accidentally shot in the shoulder and required hospitalization.
The bear’s cub ran off and it’s unclear if it has since been located.
Each incident involved a bear being surprised in close quarters and charging in a defensive behavior.
With fall hunting seasons getting underway, the IDFG advised hunters to be on the constant lookout for signs of bear activity and heed this advice:
“When not hunting, make noise, especially around creeks and thick vegetation. Most attacks occur by inadvertently surprising a bear at close range.”
–Generic grizzly bear image courtesy of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game
Go on a bike ride to remember on the Route of the Hiawatha. Once the site of a historic railroad, this 15-mile biking and hiking trail travels a scenic path between Idaho and Montana. It’s the ideal location for a serene tour of picturesque forests. Plus, for curious adventurers, the region’s mysterious tunnels and past glories provide enough intrigue to fuel a weekend of exploration.
Before this trail became the Route of the Hiawatha, it was a railroad known as the Milwaukee Road. The line prospered in the 1800s, sailed through a massive forest fire in 1910, and eventually filed for bankruptcy in 1935 (and 1977). Today, cyclists can unravel these stories and more while traveling past miles of thriving trees and bright blue skies. Learn more about these iconic stories and sights with this photo guide to the Route of the Hiawatha.
A Montana angler shot and killed a grizzly bear Wednesday north of Yellowstone National Park in an apparent case of self-defense.
A Montana angler shot and killed a protected grizzly bear Wednesday in an apparent case of self-defense.
According to Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, two anglers surprised the adult male bear while hiking on private land along Tom Miner Creek north of Yellowstone National Park.
The bear charged both anglers in what Fish, Wildlife & Parks described as “defensive behavior” in close quarters. One angler shot and killed the bear.
The case is under investigation and further details were not provided.
The men were scouting in advance of the fall hunting season for non-protected game when they surprised the bear. Both men opened fire and one was shot in the shoulder and required hospitalization.
The grizzly bear had a cub that ran off after the incident.
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks stated in a news release that anyone venturing into bear country should make “localized noise” to alert bears and reduce the likelihood of surprise encounters.
Two men from Whitefish, Montana, shot and killed a grizzly bear Saturday in self-defense while scouting in advance of hunting season.
Two men from Whitefish, Montana, shot and killed a protected grizzly bear Saturday in self-defense while scouting in advance of the fall hunting season for other species.
One of the men was shot in the back shoulder during the chaotic encounter in the Whitefish Range. The man was treated at a nearby hospital.
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks stated in a news release that the men were in dense woods when they surprised a female grizzly bear with one cub. The adult bear charged and the men shot and killed the animal.
Fish, Wildlife & Parks explained that the bear’s behavior appeared to have been in defense of her cub. She did not have a history of conflict with humans.
The bear, tagged by researchers in 2009, was about 25 years old.
As of late Monday, FWP had not located the cub.
The agency determined after an investigation that the bear was shot in self-defense. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service concurred with the findings.
