Grizzly bear that killed hiker in July has been euthanized, officials say

WEST YELLOWSTONE, Mont. — Officials say a grizzly bear that was linked to the death of a woman in July and injured another person in 2020 has been euthanized after her and her cub broke into a person’s house looking for food.

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The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks said that a West Yellowstone homeowner reported that a grizzly bear and her cub “broke through a kitchen window of an occupied home and removed a container of dog food from inside the house” on Saturday morning, according to a news release obtained by the Washington Post.

Department staff and law enforcement from the area were able to capture the cub, wildlife officials say. They then shot the adult grizzly bear after receiving authorization from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

The bear was a 10-year-old female grizzly bear that had originally been captured in 2017 for research, wildlife officials said. They added that genetic analysis and other characteristics confirmed that the bear was the same one involved in the death of a woman in July. According to the Post, the woman was Amie Adamson, 48, and she died on a trail in the Custer Gallatin National Forest.

“This bear was euthanized because it entered somebody’s home, which is very unsafe behavior, very unnatural behavior for bears,” Montana FWP Region 3 spokesman Morgan Jacobsen told KBZK.

Officials said the 46-pound male cub is being held at the FWP’s wildlife rehabilitation center in Helena, according to the Post.

The bear was also involved in an incident in Idaho that left a person injured by Henrys Lake State Park in 2020, wildlife officials said. Authorities tried to trap the bear after the deadly attack in July, but efforts were unsuccessful.