BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) - Wildlife officials say a black bear that killed two goats in a Billings neighborhood earlier this week has been trapped and euthanized.
The Billings Gazette reports (https://bit.ly/2oehN7m) the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services agency killed the 2-year-old male bear Thursday.
The bear had been caught a day after it killed, dragged and partially ate two pet goats that were kept inside a pen.
Authorities say the goats’ owner shot at the bear with a gun.
Officials also suspect the black bear had been going through garbage at campgrounds in the area.
Shawn Stewart, with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, says the decision to euthanize the bear was based on the depredation of livestock.
He says bears that kill livestock will likely do so again if they are relocated.
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Information from: The Billings Gazette, https://www.billingsgazette.com
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