An 830-pound male grizzly bear that was struck and killed by a pickup truck in mid-October near Lincoln will stay in Lincoln as part of an educational display, wildlife officials announced today. A full-body mount of the grizzly, including an educational display on bear identification, safety and conservation, will be housed at the Helena National Forest’s Lincoln Ranger District office. “Keeping the bear Lincoln is a good fit, and the display will help to send a bear awareness message to local citizens, school children, outdoor recreationists and other visitors,” said Jeff Hagener, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Director. “We were very impressed with the amount of letters of support for the bear that we received from the local communities.” Community members, including school children from Lincoln, Ovando, Helmville and Seeley Lake, all sent letters of support for the bear to FWP and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Other groups, including the University of Montana, also voiced interest in the bear. “The Lincoln bear will stay in Lincoln,” said Mack Long, FWP Regional Supervisor for west-central Montana. “However, we are also eager to work with the University of Montana to find another grizzly that can be used as part of an educational display on campus.” The United Taxidermy Association will donate the taxidermy work for the Lincoln bear. The Association has donated taxidermy work for several bears that are used for educational purposes. The educational display will be developed through a cooperative effort by FWP, the USFWS, U.S. Forest Service Lincoln District and Missoula’s Center for Wildlife Information. “This is a unique opportunity for the bear to remain near where he spent most of his life and to be displayed with educational messages that will help foster grizzly conservation,” said Chris Servheen, Grizzly Bear Recovery Coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. -fwp-
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