Two hunters shot at a charging grizzly bear and her two cubs in Montana, killing the mom, wildlife officials said.
The pair was bowhunting in Tepee Creek, north of West Yellowstone, on Sept. 9, the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks said in a Sept. 13 news release.
West Yellowstone is in southwestern Montana, near the Wyoming and Idaho border. A grizzly bear and her two cubs appeared and ran toward the hunters, officials said.
The hunters pulled out their handguns and killed the mom bear, officials said.
One cub was injured in the shooting. The hunters were not injured.
The incident was reported to wildlife officials who confirmed the grizzly had been killed. Wildlife officers said they found evidence of one cub being injured, but they couldn’t find the young bears.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is investigating the incident. Grizzly bears have been listed as a threatened species by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service since 1975 in the lower 48 states.
They are protected at a state and federal level, making it illegal to “harm, harass, or kill grizzly bears, except in cases of self defense or the defense of others.”
This article by Helena Wegner was first published by The Idaho Statesman on 13 September 2024. Lead Image: Hunters shot at a grizzly and two cubs (not the ones pictured) near West Yellowstone, Montana, officials say. ERIC JOHNSTON National Park Service
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