FWP secures new residence for orphaned grizzly cubs

A pair of native bear cubs are headed to a Pennsylvania wildlife sanctuary after officers with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks euthanized their mom following repeated makes an attempt to interrupt into human meals sources and more and more harmful habits close to populated areas.

Euthanasia is usually a software of final resort for state wildlife consultants. That they had hoped that capturing and transporting the mom bear to extra distant areas would break her routine, however she continued to wander into cities and properties round Glacier Nationwide Park, foraging for meals.

The animal managed to elude seize previous to going into hibernation this previous winter. When she emerged within the spring, she got here with two cubs in tow.

In July, officers captured the household of three close to Lupfer Meadows north of Whitefish. With a document of raiding human sources of meals — sheds, rubbish cans and hen coops — in Columbia Falls and Olney, officers deemed the mom bear severely meals situation in session with consultants from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service, placing euthanasia squarely on the desk.

In accordance with Dillon Tabish, FWP Regional Communication and Administration director, the company should work carefully with Fish and Wildlife Companies when weighing whether or not to euthanize a wild animal, significantly an animal as extremely protected as one in every of Montana’s grizzlies.

“Grizzlies are at present listed as a threatened species and they also’re actually protected animals,” Tabish mentioned. “Whenever you’re coping with a protected animal you’ve actually bought to ensure you’re doing the appropriate factor and going by way of all of the steps, that’s why the assistance from the Fish and Wildlife Service is so valued, as a result of this can be a very delicate state of affairs.”

Tabish mentioned that euthanizing the mom bear offered new challenges.

“The cubs we discovered with the mom are what we name ‘cubs of the yr,’ which implies that they have been born in the identical yr we adopted them,” Tabish mentioned. “So that they’re nonetheless too younger to know the right way to survive on their very own and when that occurs we mainly know we’ve got to ship them to a shelter.”

Tabish says that the method of in search of a brand new house is uniquely tough for bear cubs attributable to their lengthy lifespans and the quantity of house they should stay comfortably.

“The typical grizzly bear can stay as much as thirty years in captivity,” Tabish mentioned. “So once you comply with undertake a grizzly cub you are primarily agreeing to a number of many years of caring for one animal. When you will have two bear cubs, that accountability doubles.”

That accountability, in keeping with Tabish, implies that FWP maintains excessive requirements when trying to find a house for the cubs, who have been quickly stored in a wildlife sanctuary in Helena whereas officers looked for extra everlasting lodging.

“The stakes have been excessive, too,” Tabish mentioned. “As a result of if we are able to’t discover a facility to deal with the animals and run out of time, that often means we euthanize them as effectively.”

Fortunately, although, after casting a large web all all through the USA, the FWP discovered lodgings within the Rivendale Wildlife Sanctuary in Pennsylvania. State officers mentioned the Zoological Affiliation of America has accredited the ability, which lately constructed bear enclosures.

“Whereas we’re grateful that the Rivendale Wildlife Sanctuary had the suitable house and accepted these two cubs for everlasting placement, we’d a lot reasonably see them within the wild avoiding battle with people,” mentioned Lee Anderson, FWP Area 1 supervisor, in an announcement.

Tabish echoed that sentiment.

“We will’t stress this sufficient: Discovering properties for cubs is all the time end result,” Tabish mentioned. “However the very best end result would have been if the mom lived and the household was allowed to remain within the wild.”

Tabish says that if there’s a message Montana’s ought to take away from this story, it’s one they’ve in all probability heard for years now.

“Montana is bear nation, everyone ought to know this,” Tabish mentioned. “All of us have to be doing our half to ensure we aren’t attracting wildlife or disrupting their pure habitat. Protecting trash and meals indoors, use bear-resistant containers, in case you have a home fruit tree that pulls animals, possibly take into account eradicating it.”

Tabish pauses to summarize all of this succinctly.

“Preserve bears wild and hold individuals protected. It’s a win win.”