Grizzly bear killed in vehicle collision on Highway 20 near Idaho/Montana border
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ASHTON — A young male grizzly bear approximately 3 to 4 years of age was reportedly struck by multiple vehicles as it attempted to cross U.S. Highway 20 near the Idaho/Montana border.
The incident occurred at approximately 11:00 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 27. The bear died immediately and the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office stated no human injuries were reported. This was the third grizzly bear in the ecosystem known to have been killed in a vehicle-related incident this year.
The bear was not radio-collared or marked, meaning it had not been previously handled by biologists. Tissue and hair samples were collected for DNA purposes, and a tooth was pulled to be examined to determine a more accurate age for the animal.
Information regarding known annual bear moralities in the Yellowstone Ecosystem can be found at the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team (IGBST) website at http://nrmsc.usgs.gov/science/igbst/mort. For further information about grizzly bear recovery go to igbconline.org.
EastIdahoNews.com has reached out to authorities for more information. We’ll post as details come in.