The following is a press release from the Idaho Department of Fish and Game.
TETONIA – On November 9 and 10, Idaho Fish and Game euthanized a grizzly sow and two cubs after the bears increasingly showed little fear of humans and became accustomed to areas close to homes in the Tetonia area northwest of Driggs.
Euthanasia is never a desired outcome. However, there were no available relocation sites in Idaho and due to continued habituation and potential risk to humans, Fish and Game officials determined that these bears should be removed. Population.
Idaho Fish and Game spoke with the US Fish and Wildlife Service during the process.
The grizzly sow and her cubs first became a public safety issue this fall in the Mammoth region of Yellowstone National Park where they frequented and showed a habituation to developed residential areas. After leaving the park, the grizzlies ended up in Gardiner, Montana, where they once again became a human security issue, spending much of their time foraging next to homes.
On October 17, the three bears were moved south from West Yellowstone, Montana. A GPS collar placed on the sow showed the bears moved south through Wyoming and Idaho before settling and spending the last few weeks in rural residential areas east of Tetonia. GPS collar data and field observations showed that the sow and cubs continued to spend considerable time near human populations.
In the interest of public safety, Idaho Fish and Game staff have spent considerable time and effort keeping an eye out for bears since they arrived in the Tetonia area on October 28. Agents and biologists scoured the neighborhoods daily to visit owners. to make them aware of the presence of bears. Staff also provided information on the proper storage of attractants in an effort to prevent bears from obtaining human food rewards from trash or other unnatural sources.
