A black bear that attempted to enter two different tents while they were occupied with campers in the Bighorn National Forest on July 5, has been killed. The bear had frequented the area over multiple nights, accessing food and showing a notable lack of fear of humans in the area.
Bear’s Behavior
The bear’s behavior suggests it was food-conditioned, and had likely received human-provided food rewards in the past. Food-conditioned bears can become destructive and dangerous in their attempts to obtain human food.
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department has a wildlife attractant storage requirement in place, which requires forest users to secure any potential attractants so that they are unavailable to bears and other wildlife. Members of the public are encouraged to follow Bear Wise practices when camping or recreating in bear country, in order to reduce the potential for a conflict.
Any conflicts with bears should be reported as quickly as possible to local Game and Fish personnel or to the Stop Poaching Hotline at 1-877-WGFD-TIP. Early reporting of conflicts provides wildlife managers more management options.
Original reporting: Oil City News (Casper WY) — read the source article.
