FILE – In this Oct. 2005, file photo provided by Ray Paunovich shows a well-known Yellowstone National Park grizzly bear known as “Scarface.” Montana wildlife officials have confirmed that the grizzly bear was shot and killed during a confrontation with a hunter north of Gardiner last fall. (Ray Paunovich via AP, File) Yellowstone grizzly ‘Scarface’ Shot And Killed
Yellowstone grizzly shot
According to Federal authorities a Yellowstone National Park Grizzly known as “Scarface,” has been shot and killed.
The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks confirmed last week that the male grizzly bear shot in late November 2015 was the bear known to researchers as No. 211.
The bear, widely known as “Scarface,” was killed in the Little Trail Creek drainage north of Gardiner, Montana on the Gallatin National Forest.
The distinctive scars on the right side of his face were likely the result of typical fights with other male grizzlies for females during mating season or to claim deer and elk carcasses.
The bear was known to many photographers and wildlife watchers. As a result, his life was often documented in the media.
In his prime, No. 211 weighed approximately 600 pounds. At his last capture in 2015, he had lost nearly half of his body weight, weighing in at only 338 pounds. His body condition was probablylinked to his advanced age of 25 years. Less than 5 percent of male bears born in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem survive to 25 years.
The grizzly bear is protected by both the federal government and the State of Montana as a threatened species, although it is being considered for delisting.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service routinely investigates incidents affecting threatened and endangered species and is conducting an investigation into the death of Scarface with the assistance of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.
