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• Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks grizzly bear management specialists relocate a family of grizzlies near Eureka, Montana

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks grizzly bear management specialists relocate a family of grizzlies near Eureka, Montana

Added by George Bettas on June 27, 2008

As grizzly bears expand their range in western Montana they increasingly occupy areas where people are living, farming or ranching. When natural foods are scarce such as during the early spring, grizzly bears range far and wide in search of food. When they come upon bird feeders, pet food, garbage cans and improperly stored human foods they can become “problem bears” and become habituated to these foods. Montana’s grizzly bear specialists work in our Montana communities to educate homeowners and recreationists on how to properly secure animal feeds, human foods and garbage. In some cases the bear specialists trap and move bears to prevent conflict with people.

On Saturday (May 31st) Montana grizzly bear specialists trapped and moved an adult female grizzly bear and her 2-year old cubs who were getting into dog food, chicken feed and killed chickens east of Eureka, MT. The adult female was released in the upper Stillwater drainage. Since the cubs were old enough that the female would soon be forcing the young bears to be on their own, the bears were split up. The 2-year old female was released in the Coal Creek drainage of the North Fork of the Flathead and the 2-year old male was released on the east side of Hungary Horse Reservoir.