Huge grizzly bear is found dead and bloodied in Yellowstone National Park, sparking speculation he was illegally shot despite continued conservation efforts in the area
- Wildlife photographer Amy Gerber found the dead bear and managed to snap photos of him lying by a highway
- US Fish and Wildlife has confirmed they are now investigating the incident
- Penalties for killing a grizzly can be up to a $50,000 fine or jail time
Federal officials have launched an investigation after a huge grizzly bear was found dead and bloodied in Yellowstone National Park, sparking fears it had been illegally shot.
Local wildlife photographer Amy Gerber found and captured footage of the big bear, which was abandoned near a highway in Wyoming on Monday.
She believes the animal may have been shot and killed, as there were no signs of a car collision. Gerber says a bear the size of the bear she found would have damaged any car that hit it and left debris all over the road.
Grizzly bear hunting is illegal in Yellowstone due to ongoing efforts to increase the bear population.
Speak against Cowboy state newspapersaid Gerber, ‘That bear cannot die in vain.
Wildlife photographer Amy Gerber captured images of the grizzly bear in the national park
“The few people who hate grizzly bears so vehemently, that doesn’t represent us. That’s not Cody, Wyoming.
“It seems like there’s a perception that people here hate wildlife, especially predators, and that’s not true. There is great outrage over this bear’s death.’
According to Amy, she had heard rumors that a grizzly was hit by a car on Monday, but said there was “zero evidence” of road deaths.
Representatives from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service confirmed they are now investigating the incident.
Anyone with information is also urged to contact the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.
Wyoming Wildlife Advocates shared an appeal on their social media pages, saying, “Sometime late that night or early this morning in Wyoming, just outside the eastern border of Yellowstone National Park, this grizzly bear was illegally killed.
“Just a bear looking for food and doing what bears do.
“If you have any information about this illegal kill, please call the Wyoming Game and Fish Department in Cody at 307-527-2175.”
Pictured: A grizzly at Beaver Lake in Yellowstone
The bear was found in Yellowstone National Park.
As of September 2018, grizzly bears within the Yellowstone ecosystem are protected under the Endangered Species Act.
Killing a grizzly bear illegally or for no justifiable reason can carry a maximum fine of $50,000 or one year in prison.
Last April, father and son Jared and Rex Baum of Ashton, Idaho, were convicted of killing a radio-collared grizzly bear.
Rex pleaded guilty to a felony and was sentenced to 180 days in jail, plus fines including $1,000 and court costs, as well as a $400 civil fine.
His hunting license was also revoked for ten years, while his son Jared served 30 days and faced fines including a $10,000 civil fine and a life ban from hunting.
The previous year, the two shot a grizzly sow 12 times on the Little Warm River in Fremont County, Idaho.
Yellowstone’s grizzly bear population was driven to extinction in the 1970s, but their population has grown from 136 in 1975 to about 1,063 in 2021, according to the National Park Service.
The park service advises all visitors to the area to bring bear spray in case they encounter aggressive bears.