GARDINER — Some may remember the Gardiner bear only after it was euthanized in the Yellowstone River in mid-July. But to the Gardiner community, this bear was Bear 769.
"I’ve known a few grizzly bears over the years, but you know, 769 was a special one," says Deby Dixon.
Dixon lives in Gardiner. She’s a wildlife photographer who’s been photographing Bear 769 since his first appearance in 2015.
"This was not a bear that people wanted to kill. He was valuable to the ecosystem, and they had to kill him. They had to make that choice," she says.
Bear 769 was euthanized by Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks after becoming so food-habituated that he began breaking into Gardiner homes.
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But before that, Dixon says he was the highlight of many people’s visit to the area.
"Bison cross over these lakes on the Blacktail and the ice softens, the bison fall through, and they can’t get out," Dixon said. "After they drown, they stay there until Bear 769 comes to find them. And so, our first bear almost every single year has been him."
Dixon says 769’s migration into Gardiner was just the natural evolution of a food-seeking bear.
"Around 2015, he found the apples and he’d just go through town eating apples. He really didn’t get into any trouble," she says.
As Bear 769 continued coming to Gardiner, he found his way into trash cans, grease traps, and eventually homes, the final encounter that led to him being killed.
"I was heartbroken, even though I knew that it was coming,' Dixon says.
Dixon said that wildlife plays a huge part in the attraction to gateway towns like Gardiner but reminds people of the responsibilities of living in bear country.
"The positive is that you get to live here, the downside is that you might have to make some adjustments in your lifestyle," she says.
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After the bear’s carcass appeared in the Yellowstone River, pawless and headless, many people were shocked at FWP’s methods.
"They had to kill him," Dixon said. "They had to make this choice, and then they had to cut off his head because of people that sell stuff on the black market. How fair is that? How can we blame them for trying to protect the law?"
She says she understands that bear-proofing can be difficult but hopes the community can continue to come together to develop better methods.
"I understand that we have to make tough choices, that they’re not easy for everybody," she says, "There’s a lot to think about, and to educate about. Awareness and education are key. Nobody knows what to do until they’ve either been through it or someone takes the time to teach them."
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