Cottonwood Bear Destroyed, G&F Warns Residents On Garbage

The bear that had been frequenting the Cottonwoods subdivision and approaching the schools in that neighborhood has been trapped and humanely destroyed. Wyoming Game and Fish Spokesman Mark Gocke says the 420 pound bruin was trapped across the street from Jackson Hole Middle School after having reportedly visited the populated areas over nine days.
Gocke says give the bear’s previous history of being very comfortable around developments and activity and its past along with the possibility that it could begin challenging the people it encountered for food, the difficult decision to euthanize the animal was made. Gocke reminds that at this time of year, bears are eating voraciously night and day as they prepare to den for the winter and residents throughout the valley need to be sure such things as garbage, pet food, bird feeders and other attractants are not available to them. He says they will eat such things as berries or crab apples and move on, but a garbage food reward will bring them back.

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