Yellowstone grizzly shot
Federal authorities in Yellowstone National Park say a Grizzly known as “Scarface,” has been shot and killed.
The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks confirmed last week that the male grizzly bear shot in late November 2015 was the bear known to researchers as No. 211.
According to reports, the bear was killed in the Little Trail Creek drainage north of Gardiner, Montana on the Gallatin National Forest.
The distinctive scars on the right side of his face were likely the result of typical fights with other male grizzlies for females during mating season or to claim deer and elk carcasses, reports dBTechno.
The bear was known to many photographers and wildlife watchers over the years.
In his prime, No. 211 weighed approximately 600 pounds. At his last capture in 2015, he had lost nearly half of his body weight, weighing in at only 338 pounds. His body condition was probablylinked to his advanced age of 25 years. Less than 5 percent of male bears born in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem survive to 25 years.
The grizzly bear is protected by both the federal government and the State of Montana as a threatened species, although it is being considered for delisting.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service routinely investigates incidents affecting threatened and endangered species and is conducting an investigation into the death of Scarface with the assistance of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.
The killing of the famous bear is sure to fuel opposition to a recent Fish and Wildlife proposal to remove federal protections for grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Area, which could lead Montana, Idaho and Wyoming to approve hunting of the animals, according to The Washington Post.
