Authorities Eliminate Bear Permanently After Another Attack

FIsh and game authorities have euthanized a bear after it had another run-in with humans.

The grizzly mama recently broke through a window in an occupied cabin and took off with a large bag of dog food.

When they finally caught up with the bear and its 46-pound cub, rangers realized it was the same bear that had killed a woman in Yellowstone National Park earlier this summer.

Authorities tracked the bear in the Montana wilderness and say its habit of frequenting human areas, plus its track record of being a killer, spelled doom for the mama bear.

She was put to sleep this weekend and her cub was taken to a local zoo.

Authorities said the bear had become somewhat reliant on humans to provide food for itself and its cub and it had more than just the two encounters with people.

When the mauling occurred back in July, officials were unable to locate the bear, and the incident was filed away until the recent intrusion into a cabin near Yellowstone.

Fortunately, the occupants of the home didn't confront the bear and it left on its own accord. The homes owners were unhurt in the incident, but reported the home invasion by the grizzly to authorities.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks issued the following guidance for avoiding encounters with bears:

• Carry bear spray and be prepared to use it immediately.
• Travel in groups whenever possible and make noise, which can help alert bears to your presence.
• Stay away from animal carcasses, which often attract bears.
• Follow food storage orders from the applicable land management agency.
• Keep garbage, bird feeders, pet food and other attractants put away in a secure building. Keep garbage in a secure building until the day it is collected. Certified bear-resistant garbage containers are available in many areas.
• Never feed wildlife. Bears that become food-conditioned lose their natural foraging behavior and pose threats to human safety. It is illegal to feed bears in Montana.

But if you do encounter a bear, never approach it. Leave the area when it is safe to do so.

Every year there are hundreds of bear attacks in the United States, with 110 of those being fatal. The attacks are almost exclusively in western states like Utah, Montana, Idaho, Alaska and Wyoming.

The attacks usually take place in the summer months (between May and October) as bears normally hibernate in the winter.

For more on bear attacks, go to the bear attack blog by clicking here.