Wyoming grizzly finds new home at Pocatello Zoo

A grizzly bear that got too familiar with people in Wyoming has a new home at the Pocatello Zoo.

The 2-year-old female grizzly lost its fear of people after multiple encounters nears the Pahaska Tepee Resort on the Shoshone National Forest.

She was captured in the grizzly bear recovery area by and transported to Pocatello. The Pocatello Zoo is one of the few zoos in the nation that specializes in housing native species.

Zoo Superintendent Peter Pruett said the zoo recently spent a little more than $1 million to create a new grizzly bear exhibit.

“After a quarantine period of 30 days we will start to introduce the new bear to Stripes, our 29 year-old grizzly, who has been at the zoo for decades,” said Pruett.

Idaho Fish and Game Department spokesman Gregg Losinski said the department worked with the zoo to obtain certification from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as a certified facility to receive a grizzly bear.

Losinski said when a grizzly is removed from a recovery area, it is counted as a loss to the overall population because it is no longer available to the gene pool.This bear is the 17th loss recorded this year.

He said the number of known and probable grizzly bear deaths in the Yellowstone Ecosystem is at its lowest point in recent years.