Grizzly Bear Being Sought In Teton Valley
Idaho Fish and Game Department personnel are attempting to capture a female grizzly bear that has been causing trouble in the Fox Creek subdivision near Driggs. The three-year-old grizzly has been getting into garbage, tearing into hot tub covers, and prowling backyard decks over the past several nights.
Fish and Game spokesman Gregg Losinski says the bear is radio-collared and officials know exactly where the animal is. Officials hoped a well placed trap would snare the animal when it ventured out of the mountains again Thursday night.
The bear was originally trapped after getting into human garbage in the North Fork of the Shoshone in Wyoming last year and relocated to Squirrel Meadows. Fish and Game officials say the bear traveled to the Kilgore area to hibernate last fall then wandered into the Driggs area after awakening this spring.
Losinski says the grizzly has absolutely no fear of humans. As a result, when it is recaptured, the bear will be euthanized.
The Teton County, Idaho Prosecutor’s Office is preparing letters urging residents to comply with the county’s new bear ordinance. The law requires people living within designated areas to use bear proof garbage containers.
