Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks has confirmed that the male grizzly bear shot in late November 2015 was the bear known to researchers as No. 211. No. 211 was killed in the Little Trail Creek drainage north of Gardiner, Montana on the Gallatin National Forest, an event under investigation by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
No. 211 was recognizable because of distinctive scars on the right side of his face likely the result of typical fights with other male grizzlies for females during mating season or to claim deer and elk carcasses. No. 211 was known to many photographers and wildlife watchers. For this reason, his life was often documented in the media.
In his prime, No. 211 weighed approximately 600 pounds. At his last capture in 2015, he had lost nearly half of his body weight, weighing in at only 338 pounds. His body condition was probably linked to his advanced age of 25 years. Less than 5 percent of male bears born in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem survive to 25 years.
The grizzly bear is protected by both the federal government and the State of Montana as a threatened species. The Service routinely investigates incidents affecting threatened and endangered species and is conducting an investigation with the assistance of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.
