A black bear connected to an incident in which it attempted to enter occupied tents in the Bighorn National Forest has been lethally removed, according to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.
The department reported the bear was killed on the night of July 23 after wildlife personnel responded to reports of a black bear repeatedly entering a campground off Forest System Road 15, accessing food and displaying little fear of people.
A tissue sample collected from the bear was submitted to the Wyoming Game and Fish Wildlife Forensic Laboratory. On Aug. 5, DNA testing confirmed the bear matched saliva collected from one of two tents involved in the July 5 incident near Fool Creek, where the bear attempted to enter occupied tents. The two locations are approximately 4.5 air miles apart.
Following the July 5 incident, Game and Fish personnel set traps in the area in an effort to capture the bear and notified nearby campers of the situation. The department said warning signs posted around the trapping area were later removed by unknown individuals, potentially creating a safety hazard and interfering with efforts to capture the bear. The traps were removed on July 8, and additional signs were placed to inform visitors of the earlier bear conflict.
Wildlife officials believe the bear’s behavior indicated it had become food-conditioned, meaning it had likely received food from humans in the past. Food-conditioned bears can become increasingly destructive and dangerous as they seek out human food sources.
The Bighorn National Forest requires campers and other visitors to properly store food and other wildlife attractants. Game and Fish is reminding the public to follow Bear Wise practices while recreating in bear country and to report bear conflicts as soon as possible to local Game and Fish personnel or the Stop Poaching Hotline.