A hunter thought he spotted a black bear in northern Idaho, so he shot and killed it, officials said.<\/p>\n
Then he realized he made a big mistake.<\/p>\n
The hunter had killed a young grizzly bear \u2014 a federally protected animal \u2014 on June 10 in the Panhandle region, the Idaho Game and Fish said in a June 14 news release.<\/p>\n
Grizzly bears have been listed as a threatened species by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service since 1975 in the lower 48 states.<\/p>\n
They are protected at a state and federal level, making it illegal to \u201charm, harass, or kill grizzly bears, except in cases of self defense or the defense of others.\u201d<\/p>\n
Officials said the grizzly wandered into the unit 6 area where they are not commonly found.<\/p>\n
However, young grizzlies are known to \u201cwander long distances and into areas where people don\u2019t expect to encounter them,\u201d officials said.<\/p>\n
Grizzly bears won\u2019t stay in the area for long as they typically roam through areas, officials said.<\/p>\n
The hunter reported the incident and has been cooperating with authorities.<\/p>\n
WHAT MAKES A BLACK BEAR AND GRIZZLY DIFFERENT?<\/strong><\/p>\n Now, officials are warning other hunters to review their bear identification skills.<\/p>\n A grizzly bear can be spotted by its short, rounded ears, shoulder hump, long claws and dished (concave) face profile, wildlife officials said.<\/p>\n A black bear has tall ears, a straight face profile, no shoulder hump and shorter claws.<\/p>\n The sizing and coloring of a bear are not reliable ways to determine the difference between the two, wildlife officials said.<\/p>\n Bears vary in size at different ages and in different physical conditions, making it difficult to identify a bear based on size alone, officials said.<\/p>\n Both bears also vary in color. A black bear can be blonde, cinnamon or black while a grizzly bear can have nearly black coloring.<\/p>\n This file photo shows a black bear. J. Stringfield National Park Service\n WHAT TO DO IF YOU SEE A BEAR<\/strong><\/p>\n Bear attacks in the U.S. are rare, according to the National Park Service. In most attacks, bears are trying to defend their food, cubs or space.<\/p>\n There are steps people can take to help prevent a bear encounter from becoming a bear attack.<\/p>\n This article by Helena Wegner was first published by Tri-City Herald on 21 June 2024. Lead Image:\u00a0A hunter looking for black bears shot a grizzly bear (not the one pictured) by mistake on June 8 in North Idaho, wildlife officials said. Jim Peaco National Park Service.<\/em><\/p>\n Help to save wildlife by donating as little as $1 \u2013 It only takes a minute.<\/p>\n\n
What you can do<\/h2>\n
\n