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+1 (307) 200 3057

Grizzly Bears

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... because grizzlies are worth more alive than dead.

Due to Federal Judge Dana Christensen’s decision on September 24, 2018, grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) are once again protected from hunting under the Endangered Species Act. Management is returned to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service working in conjunction with western states. While the bears are currently protected, they will continue to be in danger as livestock groups and Congress keep trying to return management to the states which will open up trophy hunting once again. WWA believes unequivocally that allowing trophy hunting of these iconic species is wrong with the decision being made for the wrong reasons.

Among our most significant concerns are:

Grizzly mortality is too high

too many bears are dying to make a delisted and hunted population sustainable.

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The impacts of climate change

on grizzlies and their food sources has not been sufficiently analyzed or considered.

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Hunting grizzlies

and lessening the population is a step away from connectivity and expanded genetic diversity.

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Trophy hunting

is not ethically or economically compatible with local values; live grizzlies bring millions of tourist dollars to the area.

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Removing critical predators

from the ecosystem will have a cascade of effects, including impacts on ungulate populations, pathogen spread and more.

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** Please visit our Resources Page for an extensive collection of the best and most recent science on grizzly bears of the GYE.

Did you Know?

Two of the four traditional foods that grizzlies rely on have been seriously impacted by climate change, and a third is vulnerable, meaning bears now have to travel further to find enough to eat.

Whitebark Pine is functionally extinct in many areas of the GYE due to beetle infestations and blister rust, and the bears no longer get the benefit of this high-fat, high-protein food to fatten up before hibernation.

Cutthroat Trout have been almost completely displaced by invasive lake trout which dwell deeper than cutthroat trout and so are no longer available as a food source.

Army cutworm moths thrive on certain high-altitude plants; as higher elevations see shorter winters and warmer summers, conditions become more difficult for those plants.

For now, elk – the grizzlies’ fourth critical food source – are abundant in the GYE. However, it is only a matter of time before Chronic Wasting Disease is discovered in these herds. It’s unknown how the disease will impact these elk, but a large-scale die-off could spell further bad news for grizzlies.

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Conflicts with Humans

Snowy, cub of famed Grizzly 399, died in 2016 after being struck by a car in Grand Teton National Park

As traditional food sources for grizzly bears diminish, they are forced to travel further to discover sufficient food for themselves and their cubs. Ranging outside of the National Parks can often mean traversing land that is used for grazing cattle, is home to humans, or is traversed by busy – and deadly – roads.

In 2016, a record number of grizzlies died as a result of conflicts with humans. Of a total 58 bears that died, nearly 70% of them were determined to be human-caused. In Jackson Hole alone, two young cubs were killed when they were hit by vehicles.

With so many bears dying, do they really need to face hunters, too?

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Get a Better Understanding

There are multiple lawsuits in the works against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service attempting to reverse the delisting of the grizzlies. You can learn more, or make donations to support these legal battles.

Make Your Voice Heard

You can share this information with your friends, and let them know that you think grizzlies are worth more alive than dead.

Donate to WWA

You can donate to WWA, and help us keep fighting to protect the grizzlies of the GYE.
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