Mammoth Hot Springs, Wyoming — A move by park officials to kill a rogue grizzly bear has led to mixed reactions among the general public.
Yesterday, Yellowstone National Park announced that park officials captured and killed an 11-year-old grizzly bear. The reason for the decision was due to the bear targeting dumpsters with remnants of human food inside. The creature created a strategy that helped him get inside what were supposed to be bear-proof dumpsters. This was the first time that park officials at Yellowstone have killed a bear since September 2017.
As bears get more exposed to human food, the more dangerous they become. This is because these situations lead bears to target areas where humans are, leading to an increased chance of interactions that can become fatal for humans. This could also lead to more bears becoming familiar with this dumpster strategy, increasing the risk. Add in the danger that grizzly bears present compared to the average bear, and something had to be done.
Following the announcement, one thing that many Yellowstone visitors wanted to know was whether it was possible to relocate the grizzly to a zoo or a different wildlife habitat. Here was Yellowstone National Park’s response:
“For those asking, why not relocate or send the bear to a zoo?
The short answer is: it doesn’t work.
Bears exhibit strong fidelity to their established home ranges, where they are familiar with seasonal food availability and their position within the local social hierarchy. In Yellowstone, relocating bears is not an effective long-term solution, as it is not possible to move them far enough to prevent return to the original conflict site or to ensure they won’t encounter similar conflict opportunities in the relocation area.
Our long-term monitoring of relocated bears confirms very low success rates in the park. Since the 1970s, 54% of grizzly bears that were involved in conflicts and relocated in Yellowstone caused more conflicts after their relocation.
In rare cases, young bears that are still dependent on their mothers can be sent to a zoo. Wild, adult bears are not candidates for rehoming in a zoo.”
The reaction among Yellowstone guests is mixed. Some were in favor of the decision due to the public safety risks, while others thought it was messed up that the grizzly was punished for being resourceful. Some didn’t like that the bear was killed in what was their home.
In short, it sucks that they had to do this, but it was the right decision based on what the bear could’ve done in the future.
Image Credits: Yellowstone National Park
