Troublesome Coram griz sent to educational center

A three-year-old male grizzly bear recently captured near Coram was transferred Sept. 7 to the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center in West Yellowstone, a not-for-profit educational center.

Fish, Wildlife and Parks grizzly bear management specialist Tim Manley said the grizzly was captured just a few hundred yards from U. S. 2 and was habituated and food-conditioned. FWP and the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials decided to remove it from the wild population.

"We regret having to remove the bear from the wild," Manley said. "But in this case, the grizzly was so food-conditioned that we had no choice. I'm glad that instead of putting the bear down, we were able to find a spot for the grizzly at the Discovery Center."

Manley said that the grizzly had been spotted numerous times in Coram during the day over a week-long period. The bear had gotten into dog food at two residences and picked up food from the back of a pickup truck. The grizzly had approached five residences and walked up to porches in the daylight hours, ignoring the yells of residents.

The same bear was first captured last spring near Martin City with its sibling and an adult female. The three grizzlies were relocated to Emery Creek, and they ranged along Hungry Horse Reservoir last summer. This spring, the male grizzly returned to Martin City and was captured again and relocated to the Spotted Bear area. The grizzly returned to the Coram area in late August.