After consultation with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department captured and relocated an adult male grizzly bear on Aug. 15.

The bear was captured for livestock depredation northwest of Thermopolis on private land. The bear was relocated to the Five Mile Creek drainage approximately 41 miles west of Cody.

Bears are relocated in accordance with state and federal law and regulation, and Game and Fish is required to update the public whenever a bear is relocated.

Grizzly bear relocation is a management tool large carnivore biologists use to minimize conflicts between humans and grizzly bears. It is critical to managing the expanding population of grizzly bears in Wyoming.

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.

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.

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.