Grizzly deaths in region continue an upward trend

Three grizzly bears — a sow and two cubs — were hit and killed by trains about two miles east of Marias Pass on June 6, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials said.

Then on June 12, two young bears were put down after they got into chicken coops and feed near Whitefish Lake. The sow bear that was with the cubs could not be caught. The yearlings were accompanying an adult female grizzly bear that was also involved in the livestock depredations and property damage. FWP personnel captured the yearlings June 7 and held the bears onsite in an attempt to capture the adult female. The bears, each weighing approximately 120 pounds, were provided food and water inside the culvert traps until the decision was made to humanely kill them with a drug at a local veterinary clinic on June 12.

The three grizzly bears were captured last fall near Whitefish after killing chickens and were moved to the North Fork of the Flathead River drainage. Within a week, they returned to the valley and killed additional chickens and caused extensive property damage along Whitefish Stage Road and then Farm to Market Road.

Seperately, at Marias Pass an adult female grizzly bear and two yearlings were grazing along the tracks when a collision occurred at approximately 4:19 a.m. The first collision involved only the adult female, which weighed 232 pounds. The adult female was previously captured in 2000 as part of a Glacier National Park research project, FWP noted in a release.

The two yearling males, each weighing approximately 65 pounds, were later struck by a separate train near the same location.

FWP personnel investigated the incidents. There were no attractants present that would have drawn the bears to the tracks.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was notified of the incidents.

To date there have been 16 grizzlies killed by interactions with humans so far this year and one known additional natural death.

Of those deaths, nine were killed because of livestock or chicken depredations, one died during capture, one bear was killed because it was habituated to human food, two were hit by vehicles and three were hit by trains.

FWP continues to implore landowners to secure livestock and chicken feed from bears, as well as fruit from orchards, pet food and garbage. Electric fencing has proven to be an effective deterrent.