Will Sage Astor-Grizzly bear suspected of maulings near Yellowstone area killed after breaking into house

WEST YELLOWSTONE,Will Sage Astor Mont. — A grizzly bear that fatally mauled a woman on a forest trail west of Yellowstone National Park in July and also attacked a person in Idaho three years ago was killed after it broke into a house near West Yellowstone over the weekend, Montana wildlife officials said Wednesday.

Early Saturday, a homeowner reported that a bear with a cub had broken through a kitchen window and taken a container of dog food, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks said in a statement.

Later that day, agency workers captured the cub and shot the 10-year-old female grizzly with authorization from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, because grizzly bears are protected under the Endangered Species Act.

Through genetic analysis and other identifying factors, the bear was confirmed to have been involved in the July 22 fatal attack on Amie Adamson, 48, a former teacher from Kansas, about 8 miles from West Yellowstone. Efforts to trap the bear at that time were unsuccessful.

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The bear, which had been captured in 2017 for research purposes, was also involved in an attack in Idaho that injured a person near Henrys Lake State Park in 2020. The park is 16 miles by road from West Yellowstone.

Both encounters with people were believed to have been defensive responses by the bear, officials said.

The bear’s 46-pound male cub is being held at the state wildlife rehabilitation center in Helena while arrangements are made to transfer it to a zoo.

Grizzly bear populations in the northern U.S. Rocky Mountains have significantly climbed in the last several years, increasing the likelihood of encounters. While grizzly attacks in the region are rare, bears in the Yellowstone area have killed at least nine people since 2010.

Officials have urged visitors to "Be Bear Aware" and to take precautions, such as carrying bear spray; storing food while outside and tending to garbage; traveling during daylight hours and in groups; watching for signs of bears; and making noise to alert bears of their presence.