DUBOIS, Wyo. — The Wyoming Game and Fish Department recently announced that, after consultation with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, it successfully captured and relocated an adult male grizzly bear on April 25.

A release from Game and Fish says that the grizzly was captured for cattle depredation on private land in Park County. In cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, as well as the Shoshone National Forest, the grizzly was relocated to the Wiggins Fork drainage, approximately 19 miles south of Dubois, Wyoming.

The release notes that grizzly bears are relocated in accordance with state and federal law and regulation, and Game and Fish is required to update the public whenever a grizzly bear is relocated.

“Grizzly bear relocation is a management tool large carnivore biologists use to minimize conflicts between humans and grizzly bears,” the release states. “Bears that are considered a threat to human safety are not relocated. In some cases, a bear may be removed from the population if it cannot be relocated successfully.”

The release says that capture is necessary when other deterrents or preventative options are exhausted or unattainable. Once the animal is captured, all circumstances are taken into account when determining if the grizzly should be relocated. If relocation is deemed necessary, a site is determined by considering the age, sex and type of conflict that the bear was involved in, as well as potential human activity near the location.

“Grizzly bears are only relocated into the recovery zone or adjacent areas,” the release states. “With any relocation, Game and Fish consults with appropriate agencies to minimize the chance of future conflicts and maximize the relocated grizzly bear’s survival.”

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department continues to stress the importance of the public’s responsibility when it comes to bear management and the importance of keeping all attractants — including food, garbage, horse feed and birdseed — unavailable to bears. Reducing attractants to bears reduces human–bear conflicts and, in some cases, relocation.

For more information on grizzly bear management and reducing the potential for conflicts, visit the Bear Wise Wyoming web page.

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