Island Park Black Bear Euthanized

Fish and Game officers euthanized an adult male black bear last weekend after it had become food conditioned and habituated to humans. Multiple sightings of the bear getting into garbage and poking around cabins in the Mack’s Inn area of Island Park occurred over the past several weeks.

“The bear had become accustomed to finding food rewards from humans and no longer showed fear of people,” says Bear Biologist Jeremy Nicholson with F&G. “It started peeking in peoples windows during the daylight hours and made no efforts to avoid humans.”
With thousands of campers, anglers, and hikers venturing outdoors, the potential for human interactions with bears is on the rise. Fish and Game encourages people to be mindful of their food and garbage and make sure it is inaccessible to bears. The same cautions apply to homeowners in bear country.
“Human safety is always our number one priority,” says Nicholson. “Unfortunately if a bear gains access to human food sources and becomes habituated to humans as this one did, relocation is not an option and the only way to ensure human safety is by removal of the bear.”
Bears can travel great distances while switching from spring to summer foods when berries and other natural foods become scarce. During their travels, improperly stored attractants such as food and garbage may become appealing.