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Glacier Park

Glacier Park Black Bear Killed After Taking Visitors’ Food

The bear stole apples from an open vehicle trunk while visitors were nearby at the Many Glacier Campground

By Associated Press

WEST GLACIER – Wildlife workers at Glacier National Park trapped and killed a black bear that officials said became a public safety risk after it lingered around a campground.

The bear stole apples from an open vehicle trunk while visitors were nearby at the Many Glacier Campground, officials said. It kept returning despite park staff attempts to scare it away.

It was later trapped near a housing area in a large trap made out of a culvert, and euthanized Thursday. The female bear was about four years old and 120 pounds (54 kilograms), park officials said.

It’s believed to be the same bear that had been approaching people near Glacier’s Grinnell Lake last week, which prompted the closure of a trail.

A necropsy showed the animal had been in healthy condition. But officials said it had become used to getting human food and was unlikely to break the habit. They said it could not be relocated due to safety concerns.