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POLSON- It's been a busy season for bear management experts, especially on the Flathead Reservation.

Wildlife biologists have been chasing a family of Ronan grizzlies after chicken coops for months, but now the chase is over and officials say the bears are heading to the Louisville Kentucky Zoo.

Tribal Wildlife Biologist Stacy Courville has a long history with a 5½-year old female grizzly bear.

"This bear's history started back in 2006, when I caught her mother for deprecating chickens, she was a yearling then," said Courville.

The female grizzly and her two cubs were finally captured for attacking six chicken coops this year and a pig pen in Ronan.

Monday, Courville and his partner Shannon Clairmont, along with the rest of Tribal Game Wardens worked to clean out the bear's group trap, placed at their Polson offices.

They are waiting for plans to get the bears down to Louisville. Courville and Clairmont have been tracking this bear and her cubs since May 18th, 2010.

"She is a smart bear, that's all I can say, smart." said Clairmont.

Courville has dealt with many bears in career; he knows the situation with particular female bear well.

"She is nutritionally stressed, trying to feed her two young ones. I guess it's a single mom thing," Courville explained.

The bear is habituated and is food conditioned, and now she and her two cubs will possibly head to the Louisville Zoo as a result.

"It's unfortunate because she is a 5-year old, and this is her first litter," said Courville.

Although she won't be destroyed, Courville considered this still mortality. "That's why I am here; to try and save bears and we failed on this one, the community of Ronan failed on this one...And it's all because of chickens," he added.

Courville says that what residents don't realize is this bear and her cubs were not caught in the wilderness.

Looking back, Courville believes the bear and her cubs will do well in captivity, she is young and will be fed well. But, he knows his role now, is to better educated people on being bear aware.

A Louisville Zoo official says the bear family may go in a new bear exhibit set to open soon.