Grizzly Bear Kills Man But Who is at Fault?

I read with interest a story in the August 9^th Herald Whig about a Montana man who was found dead in Yellowstone National Park.  He was the victim of an apparent grizzly bear attack.  According to the National Park Service, tracks found at the scene and other evidence indicates a female grizzly bear and at least one cub were involved.

Now the man’s body was found in a popular off trail area near Lake Village, Wyoming. The National Park Service reports that they have set bear traps in the area in hopes of catching the bear in question.  Now here is the interesting part.  If they trap and identify the bear involved in the man’s death they will euthanize the animal.

Ok , I know what I am about to say will probably infuriate some of you, but if I am walking in the wooded area where bears are prevalent, and they said this incident occurred in what the National Park Service called an “off-trail area”, is it the grizzly bear’s fault? If the bear came wondering into a housing development and attacked and killed a man that’s one thing, but for a man to be wandering in the woods near a mother bear and her cub or cubs, what do you expect.

In this case, this man was in the bear’s neighborhood.  It’s nature’s way of protecting itself. With all due respect to the man and his family, to euthanize the bear just doesn’t seem right. What do you think? That’s the way I see it!