Biologists may move sow, cubs
By the Associated Press
GREAT FALLS - A female grizzly bear that was wounded by a hunter in November has wandered back from high country with her three cubs, forcing biologists to consider intervening to protect the bears and humans.
A state wildlife biologists said Wednesday that officials may have to tranquilize the sow, and return her and the cubs to high country, in hopes they can be convinced - with some help from man - to finally den.
"This is all relatively new to us and we're a bit uncertain how it will all work out," said Mike Madel, a biologist with the state Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. "But our concern right now is she and the cubs are wandering around in low country on private land and it's the calving season for a lot of these ranchers. We're concerned about the possibility of confrontations."
The 17-year-old sow was shot in the head Nov. 19 by a hunter when the bear charged him. The hunter said he mistook the animals for elk or deer and sneaked up on them near Dupuyer.
Grizzlies normally are hibernating by now, but the wounded sow and her three cubs have been wandering along the Rocky Mountain Front since the shooting.
They had returned to high country earlier this month, and officials were optimistic they would den. However, the bears have since returned to river bottoms southwest of Dupuyer.
So far, the bears have stayed away from calving areas, but Madel said wildlife authorities have developed a plan in case they don't.
The mother bear would be tranquilized and placed in a culvert bear trap lined with straw, he said. The cubs would join their mother on their own, and the entire trap would be moved to an isolated, forested area where it would serve as a man-made den.
Madel said biologists are confident the cubs would hibernate almost immediately. What they hope is that the sow, once she awakes from being tranquilized, will also decide to hibernate.
"Our plan would be to leave some water for her for when she wakes up and then just leave her alone and see what happens."
Biologists have been monitoring the animals nearly daily and Madel said it is evident the cubs want to hibernate.
"They're very tired, very lethargic," he said. "Every time they stop, the cubs bed down and try to sleep."
Their mother, however, has shown no interest in hibernating, and officials fear she may have some form of amnesia.
"We have suspicions that might be the case," Madel said. "In many ways, she seems to be responding instinctively. But there does seem to be something in her wanderings and the fact that she won't hibernate, that leads us to think she might be suffering some amnesia."
By the Associated Press
GREAT FALLS - A female grizzly bear that was wounded by a hunter in November has wandered back from high country with her three cubs, forcing biologists to consider intervening to protect the bears and humans.
A state wildlife biologists said Wednesday that officials may have to tranquilize the sow, and return her and the cubs to high country, in hopes they can be convinced - with some help from man - to finally den.
"This is all relatively new to us and we're a bit uncertain how it will all work out," said Mike Madel, a biologist with the state Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. "But our concern right now is she and the cubs are wandering around in low country on private land and it's the calving season for a lot of these ranchers. We're concerned about the possibility of confrontations."
The 17-year-old sow was shot in the head Nov. 19 by a hunter when the bear charged him. The hunter said he mistook the animals for elk or deer and sneaked up on them near Dupuyer.
Grizzlies normally are hibernating by now, but the wounded sow and her three cubs have been wandering along the Rocky Mountain Front since the shooting.
They had returned to high country earlier this month, and officials were optimistic they would den. However, the bears have since returned to river bottoms southwest of Dupuyer.
So far, the bears have stayed away from calving areas, but Madel said wildlife authorities have developed a plan in case they don't.
The mother bear would be tranquilized and placed in a culvert bear trap lined with straw, he said. The cubs would join their mother on their own, and the entire trap would be moved to an isolated, forested area where it would serve as a man-made den.
Madel said biologists are confident the cubs would hibernate almost immediately. What they hope is that the sow, once she awakes from being tranquilized, will also decide to hibernate.
"Our plan would be to leave some water for her for when she wakes up and then just leave her alone and see what happens."
Biologists have been monitoring the animals nearly daily and Madel said it is evident the cubs want to hibernate.
"They're very tired, very lethargic," he said. "Every time they stop, the cubs bed down and try to sleep."
Their mother, however, has shown no interest in hibernating, and officials fear she may have some form of amnesia.
"We have suspicions that might be the case," Madel said. "In many ways, she seems to be responding instinctively. But there does seem to be something in her wanderings and the fact that she won't hibernate, that leads us to think she might be suffering some amnesia."
