Online tool tells county, date of death + cause
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) recently released a new dashboard that tracks grizzly bear deaths. The new online tool, which lists the date of the death, county where it occurred, gender, and cause of death, will be used to “increase public awareness of the circumstances surrounding grizzly bear deaths,” said FWP Chief of Conservation Policy Quentin Kujala.
To date, there are 23 grizzly bear deaths listed on the site. Out of those 23, 13 were male and 10 were female. Only three were killed in self-defense, with the majority lethally removed for livestock depredation or because of attractants, such as bee hives, bird feeders, improperly stored pet food, etc.
“It will also help reinforce our consistent message of securing attractants and being bear aware to avoid conflicts,” said Kujala.
Other deaths were due to train/vehicle collisions, mistaken identity, or illegal take, with some still under investigation. The most recent bear death occurred in Lewis & Clark County on Sept. 19 due to mistaken identity.
FWP plans to use the new online tool to show that it “can manage a sustainable population” in an effort to manage grizzlies at the state level, according to the Montana Free Press.
