Wildlife Officials Shoot Montana Grizzly Likely Responsible for Woman's Death

Officials from Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, along with USDA Wildlife Services specialists, shot and killed a grizzly bear they believe is responsible for killing a woman who was camping in Ovando, Montana, in the early morning hours of Tuesday, July 6.

CBS News reports that wildlife officials shot the bear with the assistance of night vision as it approached a trap set near a chicken coop 2 miles from where Leah Davis Lokan of Chico, California, was pulled from her tent and killed.

The bear raided the chicken coop the day after the attack, so wildlife officials set a baited trap with the hopes of luring it back in.

On Thursday, July 8, an Ovando resident who lives near the area where the trap was set came home to discover her door had been ripped off. She also noticed large claw marks. A short time after midnight, officials shot the grizzly.

Greg Lemon with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, said, Based on the size of the bear, the color of the bear and the nature of the chicken coop raids, we're confident we've got the offending bear.

DNA evidence from the scene of the attack on Lokan is being compared with samples gathered from the bear to confirm it is indeed the bear responsible.

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