Glacier bear killed after attacking dog

Wildlife management officials at Glacier National Park killed a black bear earlier this week after it attacked and killed a man’s dog on his property.

Last Saturday at about 6 p.m., a private landowner on the shore of Lake McDonald told a park ranger that the bear had come onto his property, attacked his dog on his porch and took the body into the woods. 

The man said the bear had approached his residence twice in the past. Park rangers set a trap for the bear that night.

On Monday a 5-year-old, 200-pound bear was captured and identified as the suspect bear after park officials compared it with photographs taken by the landowner and investigated the animal’s scat.

Because the bear acted aggressively, approaching a residence and attacked and ate the dog, rangers concluded the bear was conditioned and a threat to human safety. The bear was killed by park officials later that day. A park spokeswoman said the last time a black bear had to be put down by park officials was in 2013.

In a press release, park officials stated that “a conditioned bear displays behaviors that include seeking and obtaining non-natural foods, destroying property or displaying aggressive, non-defensive behavior towards humans. Conditioned bears are not relocated due to human safety concerns.”

People in bear country should keep outdoor areas clean and free of food and trash, since bears are often attracted to food and odors. Park regulations require edibles, food containers and cookware to be stored in a hard-sided vehicle or food locker when not in use. Trash should be kept in bearproof containers.

For information about recreating in bear country, visit www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/bears.htm.

Reporter Samuel Wilson can be reached at 758-4407 or by email at swilson@dailyinterlake.com.