Wildlife officials said they euthanized a subadult male grizzly bear after it injured cattle on private land just south of Ten Sleep, Wyoming.
According to Monday's announcement by the Wyoming Game & Fish Department, the bear was killed on April 14 after an investigation revealed it had wounded a cow and that the bear had been living in the area for at least a week.
Brian Nesvik, the director of the Game & Fish Department, explained that the concern was that the surrounding "Bighorn Mountain Range is not suitable habitat" for grizzlies and the department is not interested in allowing them to live there.
"Their expansion into unsuitable habitat leads to increased conflict potential between bears and humans, which impedes the success of grizzly bear conservation," Nesvik said, adding that the bears have not been documented in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem since before they were listed under the Endangered Species Act.
In the announcement, the department explained that officials consulted with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Services, which guides managing the endangered animals. Nesvik said the Service along with the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team designates suitable habitats, which are located roughly 80 miles away.
