Park removes snares after bear death

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WEST GLACIER, Mont. (AP) - Glacier National Park has suspended all bear-capture operations while it reviews the death of a male grizzly that was caught in a snare in the park.

The grizzly captured Sunday was given anesthesia but was later observed starting to raise its head and stand, park officials said. Given what appeared to be a normal recovery, park and state researchers left the area.

The bear was found dead Monday a few feet from the snare, park officials said.

The capture was part of a 10-year population study that kicked off last year. The interagency study examines grizzly population trends throughout the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem, and will help determine whether it's time to consider lifting federal protections on grizzlies.

Pending the outcome of an internal review, all capture operations have been suspended in Glacier, and all snares have been removed, park officials said.

The male grizzly was estimated to be 17 years old and weighed approximately 375 pounds.

Its carcass was sent to a Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks facility in Bozeman for necropsy. The drugs used to anesthetize the bear also were sent for analysis.

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