A 72-year-old man in Montana shot and killed a grizzly bear that attacked him while he was picking huckleberries on national forest land. The man was hospitalized with significant injuries after the surprise encounter with the adult female bear, who was likely defending her cubs. Wildlife officials are trying to confirm the presence of cubs in the area with game cameras. If found, it is unclear whether the cubs will be captured or left in the wild for their best chances of survival.
In a separate incident, wildlife officials shot and killed an adult female grizzly bear near Yellowstone National Park after it had become a problem by seeking out food from people and breaking into houses in Gardiner. The bear had become accustomed to human food sources like pet food, garbage, and barbecue grills left outside. Elected officials in the Rocky Mountain states are advocating for the lifting of protected status for grizzly bears listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, potentially opening the door to future hunting.
Grizzly bears in the U.S. are predominantly found in western Wyoming, eastern Idaho, and western Montana, with additional populations in the Canadian Rockies and Alaska. Grizzlies are managed carefully by wildlife officials, with bears involved in predatory attacks on people or those causing persistent problems often being euthanized.
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