Problem Teton Canyon bear trapped and euthanized

A young female black bear captured in Teton Canyon Tuesday has been euthanized by Wyoming Game and Fish Department personnel. The bear matched photographs, track size and distinct color patterns of a bear that had been frequenting campgrounds in the Teton Canyon area.

The bear’s food-conditioned, aggressive behavior, forced Teton Basin District forest officials to close the area last week.

A male bear, also captured in the Teton Canyon area Tuesday, was not believed to have been involved in the bold behavior that resulted in closure of the area. That bear was relocated to the Flagstaff Creek drainage of the Bridger Teton National Forest.

Wyoming Game and Fish is removing bear traps from Teton Canyon today. Caribou-Targhee National Forest Supervisor Garth Smelser places to rescind a closure order for the area beginning at noon Thursday, July 7.

“Neither aversive conditioning or relocation would be effective for a bear exhibiting this level of dangerous behavior, “said Wyoming Game and Fish Large Carnivore Biologist Mike Boyce. “The potential for human injury was obvious enough in this case to warrant removing the bear from the population.”

District Ranger Jay Pence said the bear had been in the area for a week before it was reported. He said that was plenty of time for the bear to become conditioned to food rewards from campers not complying with food storage orders.

Game and Fish officials warn that the Teton Canyon area, and all of the Teton Range, is good bear habitat and there may be additional bears visiting the area. “The fact that we caught two bears there the same day should serve as a reminder that there are likely many bears using this area,” said Wyoming Game and Fish Large Carnivore Biologist Mike Boyce. “Given that, it is imperative that campers are vigilant about securing their food, garbage and other potential bear attractants or we could be doing this all over again. I don’t think anybody wants to be the cause of a bear injuring a person or a bear being removed from the population.”

The majority of the Targhee portion of the Caribou-Targhee National Forest is included in an Occupancy and Use Food Storage order (see attached), signed January 29, 2010, that requires users of the National Forest in these areas to keep attractants out of contact of bears.