Grand Teton National Park officials said they had to euthanize a black bear last week because of "poor decisions made by park visitors."
Park officials said they had received reports earlier this year about a black bear approaching visitors near the Delta Lake area of the park.
The situation reportedly escalated last week. The park increased staff monitoring in the area and found the bear's behavior consistent with food-conditioning, meaning it had associated humans with food and was no longer easy to scare away.
"Park managers determined that the repeated food rewards, escalating proximity to people and increasingly food-conditioned behavior created an unacceptable safety risk," park officials said in a statement on social media. "Because Delta Lake is a remote backcountry location, wildlife staff darted the bear to immobilize it and then euthanized it on site. The bear carcass was flown out of the backcountry the next morning."
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The park updated its social media posts to answer questions about why the bear was not relocated instead of being killed.
"Translocation is an important tool, but it isn't always a safe or effective option. Bears have strong ties to their home ranges, and finding suitable areas with enough natural food, little human activity, and available space for another bear is becoming increasingly difficult in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem," the park stated. "In this case, after considering the bear's behavior and the circumstances, wildlife managers determined that other options had been exhausted and the bear posed a clear risk to human safety. Lethal removal is always a last resort.
Several park visitors received citations for approaching wildlife or violating food-storage requirements, officials said.
"A bear that gets a food reward can learn that approaching people pays off. What may seem like a small decision in the moment can have serious consequences for the bear, other visitors and park staff. Help us keep bears wild by making the right choice every time," the park added.
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