
Some residents responded with fury in Montana when a photographer stumbled upon a grizzly bear’s body with its head and hands removed. It quickly came to light that local officials had killed the animal for entering someone’s home and had taken the head and hands because they had “monetary value.” The bear’s body was seen floating in the Yellowstone River near Gardiner, where he was a regular intruder in local homes. Nevertheless, some Gardiner folk took to social media to complain that the animal’s body was “discarded like garbage.” One Twitter user wrote, “We are among some very evil people.”
A Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks Agency official responded to the online controversy and explained what happens when a bear is euthanized. Morgan Jacobsen said his agency answered a call days earlier because the bear had entered yet another home. He said they were “able to dispatch” the animal while it was still in the river, allowing the killing to take place away from human activity.
Jacobsen explained that it is FWP policy to remove any parts of the animal with monetary value, and while expressing regret for the animal’s death, he said human activity often means there is no other choice. He urged Montanans not to provide “opportunities for animals to become food conditioned,” or in other words, not to leave food lying around that would attract the bears.
Several Gardiner residents have described their encounters with the bear to local reporters. Deby Dixon said it seemed like he would get into her garbage every night, and she saw him several times on her doorbell camera. Dixon describes leaving home early one morning and hearing “crashing and banging” next to her house. She investigated to find the bear trying to gain access to a garbage bag.
Bear Awareness Gardiner organizer Evan Stout reminded locals that his group gives away bear-proof trash cans free of charge, hoping to keep the animals at bay. He said a pizza slice or burger will attract the animals because they contain more calories than they would find in the wild.