Community Notice: Grizzly bear relocated northeast of Rogers Pass

MISSOULA - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is providing notice to people living or recreating in the vicinity of Rogers Pass that a grizzly bear has been relocated in the area. The Service assumed grizzly bear relocation responsibilities from Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, in certain circumstances, following a recent change to Montana law. The Service has coordinated with relevant land management agencies during this process.

This bear has been relocated from outside Choteau due to depredating several domestic turkeys in with cattle. Each conflict situation is unique and requires input from staff on the ground, a thorough history of bear interactions and behavior, and close coordination with other federal, Tribal, state, and local agencies.

As grizzly bears recover in numbers and geographic regions, it is essential to remember that this area is within the historical range for grizzly bears as they naturally reoccupy this habitat. Relocating a bear from a more developed location to adjacent remote areas is mutually beneficial to both the bear and humans. This allows the bear to be removed from other potential conflicts while creating more space between them and human development.

Relocation is not an eligible management tool for grizzly bears that are considered a threat to human safety; bears posing a threat to human safety would not be relocated. The public should continue to practice good bear-aware habits in bear country, including the carrying and knowledge of how to use bear spray. The community can help prevent the need for relocations and make a difference in a bear's life by doing its part to ensure bears never obtain food rewards. Residents of local communities are encouraged to secure attractants around their homes and store all garbage within bear-resistant containers. Attractants include items with a scent, such as trash, livestock feed, compost, or beehives. Ensure bird feeders are at least ten feet up and four feet out from any building. Avoid planting fruit trees. Help your neighbors create a bear-wise community to protect wildlife. It may be cliché; however, more often than not, "a fed bear is a dead bear."

Community Notice

U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE

Mountain-Prairie Region

Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming

134 Union Blvd. Lakewood, Colorado 80228

For Immediate Release

September 9, 2022

Contact: Joe Szuszwalak, 303-236-4336, [email protected]

Please visit the

Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee Bear Aware page for more information about staying safe in bear country.