SHERIDAN, Wyo. — A black bear was recently moved from Sheridan to the Bighorn Mountains after multiple people reported seeing it in residential areas.
The first report of the bear came in on July 4, when the Wyoming Game and Fish Department received a tip of a black bear on the North Sheridan Pathway near Canfield Street. Personnel responded but the bear could not be located.
The next day, Game and Fish wildlife managers received another report of a black bear, this time near 12th Street and Taylor Avenue in north Sheridan. The bear was reported in the backyard of a residence that housed a flock of chickens and in an adjoining yard.
Responding personnel located and immobilized the bear later that day. The bear was found to be a sub-adult female in good health.
Officials believe it to be the same bear reported the previous night due to the proximity of the reports. The bear was transported and released in a remote area of the Bighorn Mountains on the morning of July 6.
“Because the bear was reported quickly by the homeowners and other members of the public and because there was no known history of the bear repeatedly receiving human-provided attractants, it was considered a candidate for relocation,” said Sheridan Wildlife Biologist Eric Maichak. “Relocation is a management option when a bear has not established a pattern of behavior seeking out or becoming comfortable around humans and human-provided food, so we appreciate the public reporting conflicts as soon as possible.”
Game and Fish personnel have also responded to multiple bear conflicts in the Big Horn and Story area in recent weeks where garbage and bird feeders have been left unsecured.
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