Decision Made on Two Montana Bear Cubs Who Lost Their Mama

What they learned as babies from mom would not end well for them out in the wild.

That determination led to a difficult decision for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. While keeping wildlife wild is preferred, it just wasn't going to work out.

Back in August, we shared the story about an adult female black bear and her two cubs that were feeding on garbage in Butte. The mother's behavior had become habitual and presented human safety concerns. And to no one's surprise, apparently the cubs had developed the same bad habits, ingrained enough to be too difficult to break.

Montana FWP officials euthanized the adult bear due to its food-conditioned behavior and took the two cubs to the Wildlife Center in Helena for temporary care. Wildlife health staff observed garbage in the cubs’ scat after their capture, and the bears did not show fear of humans at any time during their holding period.  These are clear indications that the young bears were comfortable around people and not good candidates for being released into the wild.

Bears who habitually seek food from human sources cannot be rehabilitated and most often return to those areas even after being relocated. Many conflicts with wildlife stem from unsecured garbage, food and other attractants in human-occupied areas. Like much of Montana, wildlife commonly travel through urban areas in southwestern Montana. Bears that become conditioned to seeking and obtaining food from humans quickly lose their wariness of humans and their interest in foraging for natural food items.

Since it was determined that being released back into the wild was not going to be an option, FWP made the decision to turn the two cubs over to an unspecified zoo for permanent placement.

May they live long, happy lives after their ordeal.