The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) and Blackfeet Fish & Wildlife Department are seeking information on the illegal shooting of a female grizzly bear in Montana.
The GPS-collared bear was last known to be alive on May 11, 2020. Law enforcement agents believe the bear was killed on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation on or around May 12 near Boarding School Road.
USFWS said in a news release that the bear, nicknamed “Yogi” by researchers, was a light golden-colored bear.
The dead bear was found by Blackfeet Fish & Wildlife Department game wardens the week of May 14. The bear’s carcass was taken to the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks lab in Bozeman where an examination into the bear’s death revealed that the grizzly bear had been shot.
USFWS is offering a reward of up to $2,500 for information contributing significantly to and furthering the investigation into the death of the grizzly bear.
Anyone with information about the shooting and killing of this grizzly bear is asked to call (406) 761-2286 or email lawenforcement@fws.gov. Members of the public who report information can remain anonymous.
Grizzly bears are currently protected under the federal Endangered Species Act. Grizzly bears in the lower-48 states are currently protected as a threatened species. It is illegal to harm, harass, or kill these bears, except in cases of self-defense or the defense of others.
