UPDATE: Montana FWP confirmed the two orphaned bear cubs that were in a tree on the Montana Tech campus were captured in baited traps around 7 p.m. on Wednesday.
FWP says the cubs have been transported to the Wildlife Center in Helena.
(earlier report)
BUTTE — Wildlife officials may finally have the two black bear cubs that have been wandering through Butte the past two days fenced in a tree in the middle of the Montana Tech campus. Unfortunately, they had to fatally shoot the mother of the cubs. It was a decision that many people found very upsetting.
“It just really sucks. I mean, I didn’t hear that she was actually bothering anybody, so I kind of feel they should have waited a little bit before the killed her, you know. She has the babies and it would have been nice if she’d been able to live,” said Butte resident Topanga Sturdevant.
A black bear and her two cubs were first reported foraging through trash on Butte’s westside on Aug. 27. Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials eventually shot the sow around 2:40 a.m. the following day on the Montana Tech campus. Police reported the bear was shot twice with a tranquilizer, but it had no effect.
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“I mean, it’s sad the mama’s gone, but hopefully they can get the babies protected,” said Montana Tech student Nadia Crawford.
The cubs were found up a tree on the campus. FWP officials, with the aid of campus security, erected a fence around the tree to prevent the cubs from leaving the area. Baited traps were set up to try to capture the cubs.
All this occurred during the first week of the fall semester, so the cubs caught the attention of many on the campus.
“I was sitting in class and I was like, ‘There’s a bear guys,’ and all my friends are looking at me like, ‘It’s a mama with cubs!’ Dude, oh man, this could be really good or really bad,” said student Skyler Fox.
