| Montana Matters
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Hungry grizzly captured, relocated to West Yellowstone
September 07, 2011
editor@montanaliving.com
A 3-year old male grizzly bear was captured near Coram late last week and transferred yesterday to the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center in West Yellowstone. The grizzly was captured just a few hundred yards from U. S. Highway 2.
Grizzly Bear Management Specialist Tim Manley said that the grizzly was habituated and food-conditioned and the decision was made by FWP and the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service to remove it from the population.
“We regret having to remove the bear from the wild,” said Manley. “But in this case the grizzly was so food conditioned that we had no choice. I’m glad that instead of putting the bear down, we were able to find a spot for the grizzly at the Discovery Center.” The Grizzly and Wolf Discover Center is a not-for-profit educational center that hosts public visitors and groups.
Manley said that the grizzly had been spotted numerous times in Coram during the day over a week-long period. The bear had gotten into dog food at two residences, and picked up food from the back of a pickup truck. The grizzly approached five residences and walked up to porches in the daylight hours, ignoring the yells of residents. Because of the behavior and food conditioning of the bear, the decision was made to remove it from the population.
The grizzly was first captured last spring with its sibling and an adult female near Martin City. The grizzlies were relocated to Emery Creek and then ranged along Hungry Horse Reservoir last summer. This spring the male grizzly returned to Martin City and was captured again, then relocated to Spotted Bear. The grizzly returned to the Coram area about 10 days ago.
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