Grizzly bear euthanized due to cattle depredation in southern Park County

BOZEMAN – A grizzly bear was euthanized Friday after a cattle depredation on private land in the Tom Miner Basin.

Following the depredation, Wildlife Services with the U.S. Department of Agriculture captured the bear on Aug. 10. The bear—a 20-year-old male—was identified as having been captured and relocated previously due to cattle depredations. It also had significant tooth decay. Bears in this condition will sometimes prey on cattle as an obtainable food source, especially if they have a history of conflicts with livestock.

Considering these factors, and in consultation with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks euthanized the bear on Aug. 11.

This is the third management removal of grizzly bears in Montana’s portion of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Two male grizzly bears have been removed due to cattle depredations, and one female grizzly was removed recently after becoming food conditioned to unsecured attractants in Big Sky.

Grizzly bears in the lower 48 states are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Management authority for grizzlies rests with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, working closely in Montana with FWP, the Forest Service, the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Geological Survey, Wildlife Services and Native American tribes. This collaboration happens through the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee.

For more information and resources on bear safety, visit fwp.mt.gov/conservation/wildlife-management/bear.