BOISE, Idaho — The Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) killed a black bear in Riggins after the animal approached a large gathering of people. IDFG said the officer made several unsuccessful attempts to scare the animal away before resorting to shooting it.
IDFG said the bear appeared in broad daylight on June 1 during the annual Big Water Blowout Concert and Dutch Oven Cookoff. The bear entered the park and passed nearby people, showing "no fear to people," which officials deemed it posed a threat to public safety.
The conservation officer and the Idaho State Police tried to "haze" the bear to get it to leave the area, IDFG said. But after it didn't leave, officials shot the bear near Riggins City Park, in front of event goers.
IDFG has a statement regarding the incident.
"Fish and Game employees choose a career in wildlife management and conservation because they care deeply about wild animals, so the decision to euthanize animals is not one we take lightly. However, we must prioritize public safety, and given the unique circumstances of an agitated bear potentially heading toward a large crowd of people, the decision to kill the bear was the correct, but unfortunate, resolution. Killing this bear was an unfortunate last resort, but not nearly as tragic as if it had injured a human after we had an opportunity to stop it."
The bear was first sighted in early May and was eating people's trash, IDFG said. The city and the department worked together to prevent the bear from eating more trash.
"Unfortunately, the bear continued to have access to trash and other foods and was increasingly showing signs that it was unafraid of people, even after several residents had fired warning shots in its vicinity," IDFG stated.
Department officials said trapping and relocating the bear wasn't an option because by getting into people's garbage, it would likely return or find people's trash nearby.
IDFG urged the public to secure their trash to keep wildlife and people safe.
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