Did Photographer Bait Grizzly into Soda Butte Rampage? | articles

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Did Photographer Bait Grizzly into Soda Butte Rampage?

Tuesday, 03 August 2010 20:23

Euthanized Griz

The folks at the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Department say they're investigating allegations that a photographer was baiting wildlife at the Soda Butte Campground with food in recent weeks, leading them to wonder if that's why a grizzly mother went on a rampage there last week, killing one and mauling two others.

The key here is that these are just allegations at that time. Baiting animals for the purpose of close-up photography and videography is a serious matter; it's illegal and is usually bad news for the animal, who becomes accustomed to human food and handouts. When the handouts end, the animals are left to figure out why -- and that's when bad things happen.

The baiting would explain why the bear kept coming back to Soda Butte Campground, located seven miles outside the Northeast Entrance to Yellowstone National Park outside Cooke City, even after the killing.

We're told the FWP folks have identified the photographer and attempting to set up a meeting.

To recap: A grizzly sow weighing over 300 pounds and her three cubs went to the Soda Butte Campground early Wednesday morning, located seven miles east of the Yellowstone National Park East Entrance past Cooke City, and tore apart a tent containing Kevin Kummer, 48, of Grand Rapids. He was killed in the tent; his body was dragged 25 feet or so and then partially eaten by at least one griz. After that she and the cubs went after two other tents, biting Deb Freele of London, Ontario to the point where she required surgery to repaid the broken bones in her arms; Ronald Singer of Alamosa, Col. was bitten on the calf before fighting off the griz. (Our full coverage can be found in the links at the end of the article.)

The above photo shows the grizzly sow before she was euthanized. Courtesy Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Department.