Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks captured a grizzly bear after it got into unsecured
attractants at a house and campground near West Yellowstone last week.
The bear reportedly gained access to an unsecured garbage can at a house on Wednesday. Then it made
repeated visits to the Rainbow Point Campground, where it got into a cooler, as well as food and
garbage in the back of a pickup truck. The bear also toppled a tent and climbed on an occupied vehicle
at the campground.

Multiple attempts were made to haze the bear away from the area, but they were unsuccessful. The
U.S. Forest Service closed the campground on Friday, and FWP successfully trapped the bear later that
evening.

Unsecured attractants, such as food and garbage, can lead to property damage and human safety risks.
Relocating and releasing bears that have associated human activity with access to food usually leads to
further conflicts as bears often return to the same area where they were captured to look for food.
Bears in these situations can’t be rehabilitated, so they often must be euthanized.
However, the 5- to 6-year-old male grizzly bear captured at Rainbow Point last week has been
transferred permanently to the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center in West Yellowstone. This bear will
provide educational opportunities and help the center test new bear-resistant products being
developed. This is a rare option because space and opportunities for bears are limited at such facilities.
Residents and recreationists in southwest Montana can help keep bears in the wild by following Forest
Service food storage orders, which are in effect every year from March 1 to Dec. 1.

These orders require
all unattended food, garbage and attractants to be stored in at least one of the following ways:
• In hard-sided vehicles
• In certified bear-resistant containers
• Hung at least 10 feet above the ground and 4 feet away from a tree or pole, out of the reach of
wildlife
• Placed within a fenced area that meets the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee regulations for
approved bear-resistant products

People who do not comply with these orders can be issued a violation and held civilly liable for any
damages that occur from non-compliance. Deliberately feeding wildlife is also illegal in Montana.
Grizzly bears in the lower 48 states are currently listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.
Management authority for grizzlies rests with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, working closely in
Montana with FWP, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services, the Forest Service and Tribal
lands. This collaboration happens through the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee.