Delinquent grizzly captured

On June 22, a team from Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks captured a 2-1/2-year-old male grizzly that has been frequenting residences in the Swan Lake-Woods Bay-Crane Mountain area for the past few weeks.

FWP Grizzly bear management specialist Tim Manley and his team captured the 200-pound bear in a snare on private land on Crane Mountain, according to FWP spokesman John Fraley.

The team had been trying to capture the grizzly for about two weeks. The bear swam back and forth across Swan Lake and had been frequenting the Crane Mountain area on the Flathead Lake side.

The grizzly was originally caught near Swan Lake just before Memorial Day weekend and relocated to Sullivan Creek along Hungry Horse Reservoir. Four days later, he returned to the Swan Lake area. He entered garages and a porch, and ate unsecured dog food and garbage.

Manley said the young grizzly is being transported to the FWP Wildlife Center in Helena. FWP wildlife manager Jim Williams added that the FWP Foundation is working with a zoo in Colorado that may accept the bear. The Foundation has helped fund the agency's grizzly bear conservation efforts for a decade.

Manley and Williams said the grizzly was not released back into the wild because he had become accustomed to foraging for food on people's property, and he was entering buildings and damaging property. The interagency Grizzly Bear Committee approved the decision not to release the bear.

The grizzly's brother was captured and released in mid-May and is ranging in the mountains in the Hall Creek area. He is not causing trouble.