PARK ISLAND According to reports, a male grizzly bear was put down Thursday after he allegedly grew accustomed to eating from residents in a nearby area, making him particularly dangerous to people.
Early last week, the bear started visiting the Pinehaven region in Fremont County, according to a news release from Idaho Fish and Game. There, it broke into garbage storage cars and discovered food in unguarded trash cans.
According to reports, the bear was frequently spotted on doorbell cameras, and tracks found all throughout the neighborhood showed it pushing against buildings and getting at trash.
According to the announcement, the bear was caught and put down for the sake of human safety since it was habitually seen in residential areas and consistently sought for unnatural food.
Because Island Park is home to grizzly and black bears, residents and visitors who do not properly store attractants are endangering their neighbors and their animals, according to Idaho Fish and Game.
According to the announcement, all household trash cans ought to be kept in a locked shed or garage to avoid such circumstances. Garbage containers should never be left out in the open and should only be placed out the morning of pick-up, not the night before.
In addition to reminding locals that keeping trash in trucks or other vehicles is not a good way to store it and has been a persistent issue, Fish and Game advises using certified bear-resistant containers.
According to the statement, bears are incredibly adaptive and may pick up on the association between humans and food very rapidly. Conflicts between humans and bears have long been known to occur where there are unprotected food sources of human origin present, such as fruit trees, bird seed, dog food, beehives, domestic chickens, or household trash.
The announcement claims that bears that have been fed can quickly lose their fear of people, which may cause them to approach people and endanger both human and bear lives.
Since Idaho’s grizzly bears are legally protected under the Endangered Species Act, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is consulted when taking management decisions.
