Grizzly bear kills woman near West Yellowstone
Yellowstone Public Radio | By Kayla Desroches
A woman who was found dead Saturday from a bear encounter near West Yellowstone has been identified.
According to Gallatin County Emergency Management, the deceased is 48-year-old Amie Adamson from Derby, Kansas. She was determined to have died from blood loss following a non-predatory bear mauling.
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks in a news release said she is believed to have been alone on Buttermilk Trail, about eight miles from West Yellowstone. Staff identified tracks from an adult grizzly and at least one cub near the site.
Custer Gallatin National Forest closed the Buttermilk area as a safety measure. FWP has been conducting capture operations due to the incident’s proximity to residences, campgrounds and a popular off-road vehicle trail system. No bears have yet been captured.
Food-conditioned bear killed in Glacier, a first since 2009.
Montana Public Radio | By Victoria Traxler
Glacier National Park officials killed a collared female grizzly bear July 20 after determining it became conditioned to eat human food. It’s the first food-conditioned bear to be euthanized in the park since 2009.
According to a news release, the bear was eating unsecured food at the Many Glacier Campground in late-June. It later charged a family picnicking in the park.
Officials say the bear’s “increasingly aggressive behavior” threatened human safety. U.S. Fish and Wildlife staff say they killed the bear after alternative efforts to deter the animal’s behavior failed.
The grizzly was collared in 2019 as part of a population trend study. For more information about safety while recreating in bear country, visit https://fwp.mt.gov/conservation/wildlife-management/bear/be-bear-aware
