Grizzly captured west of Thermopolis

After consultation with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department captured and relocated an adult male grizzly bear on August 15, 2021.

The bear was a captured for cattle depredation on private lands west of Thermopolis.  In cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the bear was relocated to the Fivemile Creek drainage approximately 47 miles west of Cody. 

According to Game and Fish, bears that are considered a threat to human safety are not relocated. Grizzly bear relocation is a management tool afforded to large carnivore biologists to minimize conflicts between humans and grizzly bears and is critical to the management of the population. When other options are exhausted or unattainable, Game and Fish will attempt to capture the bear. Once the animal is captured, all circumstances are taken into account when determining if the individual should be relocated or removed from the population.

If relocation is warranted, the selection of a relocation site is determined taking into consideration the age, sex and type of conflict the bear was involved in as well as potential human activity in the vicinity of the relocation site.

A property owner living west of Thermopolis has reported losing numerous livestock to predators, mainly grizzly bears.

The same property owner explains that besides the killing, the constant harassment of sheep and cattle by the grizzlies is a huge problem.