Grizzlies caught in Yaak, relocated

State wildlife officials last week captured a pair of 2 1/2-year-old grizzly bear siblings in the upper Yaak River area, after the bears were seen grazing on lawns at several residences and accessing songbird feeders, according to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

The pair of grizzlies had been previously captured in the Creston Valley area of British Columbia earlier in the month. Canadian conservation officers captured and relocated the bears near the Montana border to prevent conflicts with humans in the Creston area, and fitted one of the females with a GPS tracking collar.

After they were re-captured on June 20, Montana wildlife managers decided to split up the siblings and put as much landscape as possible between them. Officials in British Columbia offered to take back the female that was collared in Canada, and she was relocated back to White Creek, a tributary of the St. Mary’s River, on June 22.

The second female was fitted with a GPS collar and released in Montana’s upper Spread Creek on June 21. This female will be monitored by Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

The state encourages residents to remove songbird feeders and other bear attractants during the months that bears are awake.

For more information, contact Kim Annis, FWP Cabinet-Yaak Bear Management Specialist, at 406-293-4161 or 406-291-1320.