Wyoming officials euthanized a grizzly bear on April 14 after confirming it was responsible for killing cattle on private land south of Ten Sleep — far from what's considered traditional grizzly bear habitat.

“The Bighorn Mountain Range is not suitable habitat and the department is not interested in allowing grizzly bears to occupy this area," said Brian Nesvik, Game and Fish director, in a news release. "Their expansion into unsuitable habitat leads to increased conflict potential between bears and humans, which impedes the success of grizzly bear conservation.”

The subadult, male grizzly bear was euthanized after consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service due to its involvement in depredation and its behavior frequenting the ranch.

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“Wyoming’s grizzly bear population is managed and monitored where suitable habitat exists as designated by the USFWS and informed by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team,” Nesvik said.

Grizzly bears in the lower 48 states are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Management authority for grizzly bears rests with the USFWS. Game and Fish handles nearly all grizzly bear conflicts and conducts significant levels of monitoring, research and public education in accordance with the department’s Grizzly Bear Management Plan.

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