Young grizzly relocated from Whitefish Range to Cabinets

A young grizzly bear captured in the Coal Creek area of the Whitefish Range was relocated last week to the Cabinet Mountains as part of an ongoing effort to boost the grizzly bear population in that area.

The 3-year-old male bear has no history of conflict with humans and has never been captured before. The bear was released above Spar Lake in the Kootenai National Forest.

The bear population augmentation program is a cooperative effort between Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Under the program, FWP captures bears in backcountry areas of the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem and USFWS monitors the animals after their release in the Cabinet Mountains.

All grizzly bears relocated to the Cabinets are monitored with a radio collar until their collars drop off.

A 2-year-old female bear that was moved to the Cabinet Mountains in 2011 as part of the program has shown interesting traveling habits.

After her relocation, she moved north into the Yaak and then east across Lake Koocanusa, eventually denning in Glacier National Park. After emerging from her den, she went to Waterton Lakes National Park and trekked back to the West Cabinets, following the same path. She denned in the Cabinets at the end of 2012 and emerged this year to travel back to Waterton.

She now appears to be heading back to the Cabinets, most recently being located on the west side of Lake Koocanusa.

Since 1990, 14 grizzly bears have been added to the Cabinet-Yaak population, 11 of them since 2005, including seven females and four males.

Studies show that 37 grizzly bears have occupied the Cabinets from 1997 to 2012. Fewer than 15 grizzly bears may have lived in the area prior to 1990, U.S. Fish and Wildlife officials note.

There are plans to capture and relocate another female to the region this year if one can be found that meets certain criteria.