Grizzly Bear Relocated After Cattle Depredation Near Cody

CODY, Wyo. — The Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) relocated an adult male grizzly bear on Friday, May 16, after it was captured for killing cattle on private land near Cody. The relocation took place with the cooperation of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), and the bear was released in the Glade Creek drainage, approximately 2.5 miles south of Yellowstone National Park.

This marks the second relocation of a grizzly by WGFD this spring. Earlier, on May 2, another adult male grizzly was moved from the Cody area to the Ghost Creek drainage, about 60 miles northwest of Cody, also due to cattle depredation.

WGFD emphasizes that grizzly bears are relocated to help reduce conflicts between humans and bears. Bears that pose a significant threat to human safety are typically not relocated; rather, they are removed from the population. The department stated that relocation is a necessary management tool to mitigate human-bear conflicts.

According to Dan Thompson, a large carnivore specialist with WGFD, capturing the bear was essential because preventative measures had been exhausted. He reassured that the bear did not have a history of chronic cattle attacks. “This bear was not a chronic offender or we likely would have sought to lethally remove the animal from the population,” Thompson noted.

WGFD urges the public to take responsibility for bear management by minimizing attractants such as food, trash, and bird seed, which may draw bears close to human activities. This communal effort can significantly help in reducing human-bear conflicts, ultimately lowering the number of bear relocations.

For further information on how to manage bear interactions and ensure safety, visit the Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s website.