Yearling bear euthanized

LANDER (WNE) — For nearly two weeks, a young black bear was spotted around Lander and its outskirts. Reports of it frequenting residences and businesses came in over about 10 days – until last Thursday, when police and wildlife managers responded to multiple reports of a bear on the north side of town, on or near Second Street.

The Lander Police Department and the Wyoming Game and Fish both responded, and the bear was reportedly darted and immobilized. Upon examination, it was determined that the yearling male black bear was in extremely poor condition and matched reports of a bear that had been obtaining food rewards in the area for some time.

"Unfortunately, due to all these factors, the difficult decision was made to euthanize the bear," a Game and Fish spokesperson explained.

While relocation can be an important wildlife management tool, it is not always a perfect solution. Relocated bears have been known to travel long distances to return to the area they were removed from, and bears that have learned to associate humans with a reliable source of food are more likely to be problem bears even in a new location.

Bears that obtain food rewards and become habituated, losing their fear of humans, can pose a danger to humans and/or become a threat to property, pets, or livestock. Taking precautions to ensure bears cannot get into human food and come to associate humans with food is the best way to keep both people and bears safe from each other.

Euthanasia is typically viewed as the last resort in human-bear conflict situations.

For more information on how to stay safe in bear country, go to the Bear Wise Wyoming webpage: https://wgfd.wyo.gov/wyoming-wildlife/large-carnivore/bear-wise-wyoming.

This story was published on August 26, 2026. 

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