Grizzly bear killed after returning to Idaho neighborhood for food, officials say
A male grizzly bear had to be killed after it kept returning to an Idaho neighborhood for food, wildlife officials said.
The animal was euthanized June 26 in Island Park, Idaho Fish and Game said in a news release.
Wildlife officials said the bear started getting food from trash cans and breaking into “vehicles used to store garbage” last week in the Pinehaven neighborhood.
The bear was often caught on residents’ doorbell cameras, officials said, and its tracks were noticed throughout the area.
It also was spotted “pushing against buildings,” wildlife officials said.
Because the bear started seeking out an unnatural food source, it was euthanized for safety reasons, officials said.
Once a bear becomes food-conditioned, it can lose its fear of people and begin to approach them, which is dangerous for everyone, officials said.
“Because Island Park is home to both grizzly and black bears, residents and visitors who fail to properly store attractants are putting their neighbors and bears at risk,” officials said.
All garbage cans need to be stored in a garage or locked in a shed to keep bears away, officials said.
On trash pickup days, cans should be set out the morning of, not the night before, officials said.
People also should not keep food or trash in vehicles.
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.”
Island Park is in southeastern Idaho, near the Montana border.
This story was originally published June 27, 2025 at 5:59 PM with the headline "Grizzly bear killed after returning to Idaho neighborhood for food, officials say."
