TRAVERSE CITY (WWJ) A 500 lbs. black bear that has been causing trouble in the Traverse City area has been “humanely” euthanized, according to the DNR.
The DNR said in a Facebook post that they made the decision because of the bear’s “escalating behavior and the bear’s comfort around humans and human food sources, and because relocation had proved ineffective.”
The bear was trapped, outfitted with a radio collar, and taken to a rural area near Alpena in April of this year. Before his relocation, it had been “raiding” bird feeders, fruit trees, apiaries and trash cans, according to the DNR.
Within weeks, it found its way back to Traverse City.
“We look to preserve wildlife populations as much as possible, our primary concern in these matters is human safety and we believe -- based on behavior and history -- this bear could pose a threat to human welfare,” The DNR said in a statement. “This was a difficult decision to make and the DNR weighed all options before settling on this solution.”
According to the North American Bear Center, black bears can live upward of 39 years but often die sooner from starvation, falling trees, or at the hands of hunters. They range from 125 lbs. to 500 lbs., although the largest one on record weighed about 900 lbs. The black bears only live in North America. They are also excellent swimmers—who can swim for miles. The North American Bear Center said one black bear once swam 9 miles across the Gulf of Mexico.
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