YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. (AP) – A grizzly bear that has been raiding backcountry campsites and chasing campers in Yellowstone National Park since last year has been captured and killed.
The National Park Service says biologists killed the immature, male grizzly on Sept. 8 after their nonlethal attempts to alter its behavior failed.
In 2016, the bear entered campsites in the Heart Lake area of Yellowstone and destroyed tents, sleeping bags and sleeping pads. National Park Service staff tried unsuccessfully to haze the bear with bean bag rounds, rubber bullets and cracker shells.
Last month, the bear forced a group of three backpackers out of their campsite near Heart Lake and consumed all of their food. In response, Yellowstone officials closed the area to backcountry camping and made the decision to catch and kill it.