A grizzly bear that killed a female hiker near Yellowstone National Park in July, and mauled a man in Idaho in 2020, has been euthanised after breaking into a home in Montana, officials say.
The 10-year-old female grizzly and her cub smashed a kitchen window at a home near the town of West Yellowstone on the morning of 2 September and stole dog food, the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks said in a statement.
Wildlife officers captured the cub and shot the adult grizzly dead later that evening after receiving clearance from the US Fish & Wildlife Service, due to grizzlies protected status under the Endangered Species Act.
Genetic analysis and “other identifying features” confirmed the grizzly had fatally mauled Amie Adamson, a 48-year-old from Kansas, on 22 July, officials said.
The former teacher was an avid hiker who was “in heaven” while on the trails near Yellowstone, her mother Janet Adamson said at the time.
Wildlife officers made multiple unsuccessfully attempts to trap the grizzly after the fatal attack due to its proximity to homes, campgrounds and popular hiking trails.
Amie Adamson was killed in a grizzly bear attack near Yellowstone in July— (Family handout)
The bear was also confirmed to have injured hiker Gregory Godar near Henrys Lake State Park in Idaho in 2020, about 16 miles from West Yellowstone.
Mr Godar told the East Idaho News that year how the 500-pound bear appeared without warning, slashed his back, threw him to the ground and bit into his stomach.
“I was convinced I was dead. After she chewed on my belly, I thought she was going to crush my neck and kill me,” he said. Instead the bear suddenly paused the attack, and ran away, he said.
Both attacks were deemed to be “defensive responses” by the bear, according to the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.
The grizzly had been captured in 2017 for research purposes.
A grizzly bear pictured in Montana (file photo)— (Getty Images)
The 46-pound cub is being held at the agency’s wildlife rehabilitation centre in Helena before being transferred to a zoo in the coming weeks.
Officials warn that grizzly bear are increasingly coming into contact with humans as their population grows.
Bears are active for longer periods before going into hibernation, which is overlapping with hunting season and recreational activities in the fall, the agency said.
It advised hikers to take precautions by having bear spray ready to use in a moment’s notice, making noice to alert a bear to your presence, and staying away from animal carcasses.
