Mammoth Hot Springs, WY – An 11-year-old grizzly bear, who repeatedly overturned dumpsters and sought out human food, was captured and killed by Yellowstone National Park staff on May 14. In a release, Yellowstone National Park describes the problem that led to the bear’s demise:
Between April 3 and May 13, the 400-pound grizzly bear overturned several large, bear-resistant dumpsters and gained access to human food and trash near Old Faithful, the Nez Perce Picnic Area, and the Midway Geyser Basin parking lot.
Describing how the decision was made in the interest of public safety:
In addition to developing a strategy to flip over 800-pound dumpsters, the bear also uprooted smaller bear-resistant trash cans from their concrete bases to gain access to human food and garbage. As a result, the bear became increasingly food-conditioned and posed a risk to public safety in one of the busiest areas of the park.
Yellowstone Bear Management Biologist Kerry Gunther said:
“It’s unfortunate that this bear began regularly seeking out garbage and was able to defeat the park’s bear-resistant infrastructure. We go to great lengths to protect bears and prevent them from becoming conditioned to human food. But occasionally, a bear outsmarts us or overcomes our defenses. When that happens, we sometimes have to remove the bear from the population to protect visitors and property.”
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