Aggressive Whitefish bear killed

An aggressive, food-conditioned black bear was killed Thursday after it had caused numerous problems in the Lion Mountain area near Whitefish.

“The bear had approached humans aggressively and pushed on house windows and doors,” according to a press release from Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

“The bear also killed chickens and geese and got into bird feeders and garbage. It was regularly in Whitefish Lake State Park and reported a number of times by Whitefish residents.”

The 150-pound male bear was captured on Wednesday after more than week of effort by bear managers. It been mistaken for a grizzly bear by several residents.

After capture, the bear was shown to residents to ensure that it was correctly identified as the offending bear.

Managers also waited one day before putting down the bear by lethal injection to make sure no more calls came in from the areas that had been frequented by the problem bear.

Bear management specialist Tim Manley said the bear was food-conditioned to the point of being dangerous, so relocating it was not an option.

Manley reminded people living in potential bear country to take down bird feeders, secure garbage and use electric fencing to protect livestock.

He also urged people to call Fish, Wildlife and Parks at 752-5501 if a bear is seen repeatedly near homes.