Grizzly bear that mauled woman in July killed after breaking into Montana home

Bear was involved in fatal attack on Amie Adamson, 48, about eight miles from West Yellowstone

A grizzly bear that fatally mauled a woman on a forest trail west of Yellowstone national park in July and also attacked a person in Idaho three years ago was killed after it broke into a house near West Yellowstone over the weekend, Montana wildlife officials said.

Early on Saturday, a homeowner reported that a bear with a cub had broken through a kitchen window and taken a container of dog food, the Montana fish, wildlife and parks department said.

Later, agency workers captured the cub and shot the 10-year-old female grizzly – acting with authorization from the US Fish and Wildlife Service, because grizzly bears are protected under the Endangered Species Act.

Through genetic analysis and other identifying factors, the bear was confirmed to have been involved in the 22 July fatal attack on Amie Adamson, 48, a former teacher from Kansas, about eight miles from West Yellowstone. Efforts to trap the bear then were unsuccessful.

The bear, which had been captured in 2017 for research purposes, was also involved in an attack in Idaho that injured a person near Henrys Lake state park in 2020. The park is 16 miles by road from West Yellowstone.

Both encounters with people were believed to have been defensive responses by the bear, officials said.

The bear’s 46lb male cub was being held at the state wildlife rehabilitation center in Helena while arrangements were made to transfer it to a zoo.

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