Upper Green Grizzly Bear relocated
by Wyoming Game & Fish Department
July 29, 2009
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department trapped and relocated a female grizzly bear on Friday, July 24, 2009.
The five to six year-old bear had killed domestic sheep on an allotment in the Bridger-Teton National Forest north of Pinedale, WY.
In cooperation with Shoshone National Forest, the bear was relocated to the Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone River drainage ten miles west of Crandall on national forest land. The release site is located within currently occupied grizzly bear habitat and the Grizzly Bear Primary Conservation Area.
Grizzly bear relocation is a management tool afforded bear management personnel to minimize conflicts between humans and grizzlies. The decision to relocate and the selection of a relocation site is made taking into consideration the age, sex, and type of conflict the bear was involved in. Consultation with the appropriate land management agency is also made to minimize the chance of future conflicts and maximize the survival potential of the relocated grizzlies. Bears are relocated in accordance with state management plans and the Yellowstone Grizzly Conservation Strategy. When selecting a relocation site, the Department makes every consideration to minimize potential conflicts with livestock and people.
Bears can create conflicts after they have obtained food rewards. The Department continues to stress the importance of keeping all attractants (food items, horse feeds, bird seed and others) unavailable to bears. Reducing attractants reduces human-bear conflicts.
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