Bear accidentally killed by cracker shell in Glacier

The Daily Inter Lake

A black bear was inadvertently killed in Glacier National Park recently by rangers attempting to haze it from the St. Mary area.

The bear was killed after an explosive shell intended to scare it instead killed the bruin.

To keep the bear from becoming habituated to people, the rangers used a common negative reinforcement tool: a cracker shell fired from a shotgun.

"The cracker shell makes a very loud bang when it explodes and is intended to scare the animal and cause it to flee," a park release said.

A shell was fired at the bear in the area of the St. Mary park entrance on May 22.

The next day, "a ranger found the black bear dead," according to the press release. "A necropsy determined the cracker shell entered the bear's body before exploding."

A park review board will evaluate the incident to determine if management actions and strategies can be improved.

Cracker shells are included in aversive conditioning techniques that can be employed under Glacier's Bear Management Plan and Guidelines.