AMERICAN FORK, Utah, July 31, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) — Wildlife officials explained why they euthanized a bear in American Fork Canyon.
The beast had become a threat after successfully foraging in campgrounds over a period of likely several weeks, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources said Tuesday online. “We received the first reported sighting of this black bear in American Fork Canyon on July 18.
“This bear had visited several campgrounds in the canyon — Granite Flats, Timpooneke, Salamander Flat and Altamont campgrounds — during a one-week period. The bear had also visited the dispersed camping area of Silver Lake, as well.
“The bear had gotten into food and trash at each site and had become habituated to getting food from areas with people. We confirmed it was the same bear in each instance because it was recognizable by its now non-working radio collar. It was a 5 year-old male bear.”
The Forest Service closed the campgrounds as efforts to trap the bear began the past week, the DWR said, the bear finally caught in a walk-in culvert live trap at Timpooneke on Saturday.
“The bear showed little to no fear of humans and had bluff charged officers earlier in the week,” the DWR said.
The bear’s habituation to seeking food in campgrounds created “a dangerous situation that would not be solved by simply relocating the bear.
“Because this bear had created a high-risk public safety threat, our policy required that it be euthanized.”
Which the DWR lamented. “Our staff got into the wildlife profession because we love wildlife. We enjoy managing and protecting animals so Utahns can get outdoors and enjoy them. Having to euthanize an animal — because someone didn’t do something as simple as keeping their campsite clean and storing food in a secure area — is really hard.”
The DWR seeks to remind people to keep a clean camp, dispose of trash, bear-proof food and supplies and keep cooking areas clean to avoid conflicts with bears when enjoying Utah’s outdoors. Bears can be found everywhere in the state, except for the West Desert, so following safety tips while spending time in nature is important. You can learn more here: www.wildawareutah.org/wildlife/bears/
