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A grizzly bear who fatally mauled a man outside Yellowstone National Park has been shot and killed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

70-year-old Erwin Frank Evert's body was found, badly mauled, on a hiking trail near his house in Cody, Wyoming this weekend. Earlier that same day, officials had trapped, tranquilized, and tagged a grizzly bear they believe was responsible for killing the avid hiker.


Following the radio signal from the bear's collar, rangers killed the bear from a helicopter, citing they were unsure whether the bear's aggression was "unnatural" or not.

This makes me wonder whether the bear may have been acting out of anger towards the men who had trapped and shot it earlier that day. It is absolutely tragic that a man lost his life and I understand the need to euthanize the hostile bear. I do wonder, though, if we should think more about the effects of tranquilizing and collaring grizzlies. If that's causing or contributing to aggression towards humans, maybe bears near populated areas like Yellowstone and other national parks should be left alone.

It's very sad that a human life was lost here. If there's something we can change to make sure it doesn't happen again, I'd say it's worth talking about.

What do you think?