A grizzly bear captured for cattle depredation on private land in Park County has been relocated to about 20 miles north of Dubois; the first relocation of the year for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.

In cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Shoshone National Forest, grizzly bears, which are protected under the Endangered Species Act, are relocated in accordance with state and federal law and regulation. Game and Fish officials are required to update the public whenever a grizzly bear is relocated, according to a Thursday press release.

“Grizzly bear relocation is a management tool large carnivore biologists use to minimize conflicts between humans and grizzly bears. Bears that are considered a threat to human safety are not relocated. In some cases, a bear may be removed from the population if it cannot be relocated successfully,” the department reported.

Capture is necessary when other deterrents or preventative options are exhausted or unattainable. Once the animal is captured, all circumstances are taken into account when determining if the individual should be relocated. If relocation is warranted, a site is determined by considering the age, sex, and type of conflict the bear was involved in as well as potential human activity nearby.

Last year 39 grizzly bears out of the 75 making the provisional documented known and probable grizzly bear mortalities in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem list prepared by the U.S. Geological Survey were euthanized. The second largest cause of death last year was grizzly bears killed by vehicles. Nine grizzlies died on the road last year.

The number of management removals and probable deaths continues to grow as the population of the protected species grows in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. The 2026 list, which reports all mortality investigations, has yet to be released.

Relocations

Grizzly bears are only relocated into the recovery zone or adjacent areas. With any relocation, Game and Fish consults with appropriate agencies to minimize the chance of future conflicts and maximize the relocated grizzly bear’s survival.

The department continues to stress the importance of the public’s responsibility in bear management and the importance of keeping all attractants such as food, garbage, horse feed, bird seed unavailable to bears. Reducing attractants available to bears reduces human-bear conflicts, and in some cases, relocations.

About 1,000 individual grizzly bears live in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), according to the National Park Service. While population estimates have fluctuated due to changing monitoring methods, the population has rebounded significantly from a low of fewer than 150 individuals in the 1970s, marking a major conservation success, the park reports.

“Despite the rebound, high mortality rates from conflicts and environmental factors are a concern for long-term stability,” National Park Service officials reported in 2025.

For more information on grizzly bear management and reducing the potential for conflicts, visit the Bear Wise Wyoming webpage: wgfd.wyo.gov/wyoming-wildlife/large-carnivore/bear-wise-wyoming