Federal authorities are now investigating after a video surfaced on social media last week depicting a pair of Montana men chasing a grizzly bear in their truck.
Lane Kennedy, a ranch hand from Browning, Montana posted the cell phone-recorded video to his Facebook account on March 19th, which was promptly removed a few days later amid the investigation.
Kennedy told the Independent Record newspaper that the bear had come within 100 yards of a herd of cows that were calving, mentioning he often spotted bears in and around the ranch. He went on to claim the intentions of him and the passenger, Stephan Upham, were not to threaten or worry the bear, rather, the two men only intended to move the animal away from the area.
Kennedy claimed despite the fast-moving feel of the video, the pursuit never eclipsed 10 mph in speed, and as an enrolled tribe member, emphasized the cultural importance of grizzlies to the Blackfeet Tribe.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are working in conjunction with the Blackfeet Tribe as the incident is believed to have taken place on the grounds of the reservation.
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