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Black Bear Euthanized After Repeat Raids Of South Jackson Garbage Cans

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Residents in the town of Jackson living near Snow King Resort need to be more vigilant about keeping garbage locked away so bears can’t raid it. According to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, there’s been a rash of hungry bears entering town limits as they fatten up to hibernate for the winter.

Department spokesman Mark Gocke said people are waiting too long to report bear sightings. He said one black bear received over 20 food rewards, such as garbage, bird seed, and crabapples before it was reported to them.

“We had to put that animal down,” said Gocke, “and then it was quiet for a few days and then now we have another black bear that is ravaging garbage cans and so forth in the same area. So we’re attempting to capture that animal as well.”

Gocke said it’s still to be determined whether the second bear will need to be euthanized.

Gocke said people need to report to them anytime they catch bears getting food rewards so they can intervene as soon as possible.

“We recommend people not put their garbage out the night before, wait until right before pick up. Make sure that your bird feeders are up, out of reach from bears. And pet food and things like that need to be secured and put away,” said Gocke.

He said, they’ll even be tempted into town for crab apples and people should pick their trees or hire someone to do so.

Melodie Edwards is the host and producer of WPM's award-winning podcast The Modern West. Her Ghost Town(ing) series looks at rural despair and resilience through the lens of her hometown of Walden, Colorado. She has been a radio reporter at WPM since 2013, covering topics from wildlife to Native American issues to agriculture.
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