According to a report in the Cody Enterprise, Cody, WY, and confirmed to WLJ by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, eight grizzly bears were recently killed by Wyoming Hunters and Game and Fish officials in Park County, WY.
The animals, which are now relisted as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), were classified as “human habituated” by Dan Smith, Cody Game and Fish regional supervisor. Because of the ESA status, Wyoming wildlife personnel consulted with U.S. Fish and Wildlife officials before taking action.
Three of the bears put down invaded the Gallagher Corn Maze in Clark. As of Oct. 7, the department was still attempting to trap a fourth bear in that area. Three other bears were euthanized after obtaining food in residential neighborhoods on the North Fork. The other two bears perished following encounters with hunters in the field.
Before the agency decides to put down grizzlies, other options are reviewed, including possibly relocating them to other parts of the state. In the cases of these six, Smith said, “They couldn’t be moved anywhere else. There was nowhere to move them.”
