Grizzly Bear That Killed Woman in July Is Euthanized After Breaking Into Montana Home with Cub
The 10-year-old female bear was killed late Saturday, while its cub was removed to a wildlife rehabilitation center, officials said
Authorities in Montana have euthanized a grizzly bear that killed a woman near Yellowstone National Park in July and was responsible for at least one other near-deadly attack.
The 10-year-old female bear was shot by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks staff members on the same day that it broke into the kitchen window of an occupied home near West Yellowstone on Saturday, according to a news release from the agency.
The bear, along with its 46-lb. cub, had removed a container of dog food from the house, the homeowner reported to authorities.
Related: Woman Dead After ‘Apparent Bear Encounter’ Near Yellowstone National Park
Later that night, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service authorized Montana FWP to euthanize the bear. Staff members were able to capture the cub “due to an immediate public safety threat from the bear’s food-conditioned behavior,” Montana FWP said.
Through genetic analysis and other identifying characteristics, authorities were able to link the female bear to the fatal attack of a woman who was found on the Buttermilk Trail near the national park earlier this summer.
“Investigators confirmed grizzly bear tracks at the scene, and the investigation is ongoing,” FWP wrote in a statement on Facebook at the time.
Related: How to Prevent Bear Attacks and What to Do If a Bear Approaches You, According to Experts
The Custer Gallatin National Forest later issued a statement on Facebook announcing that there was an “emergency closure” in place “west of West Yellowstone to address bear/human safety concerns.”
“Multiple efforts to trap and remove the bear were made after the fatal attack in July due to the incident’s proximity to residences, campgrounds, and high-use OHV trails,” Montana FWP said, adding that the efforts were unsuccessful.
Related: Calif. Woman Fatally Mauled by Grizzly Bear in Mont. Was Victim of Rare Predatory Attack
In 2017, the grizzly bear was in captivity for research purposes, the agency said.
It was not immediately clear when the bear was released, but it was also involved in an encounter in Idaho that injured a person near Henrys Lake State Park in 2020, officials said.
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The bear's cub is being held at FWP’s wildlife rehabilitation center in Helena, Montana, and arrangements are being made to transfer the cub to a zoo in the coming weeks, FWP said.
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