Grizzlies
Ursus arctos; Grizzly bear. Photo courtesy of © John White 2000.
DB: This is Earth and Sky. A century ago, some 50,000 grizzly bears roamed the lower 48 states.
JB: Now there are an estimated 1,200 grizzly bears in the U.S., and grizzlies are listed as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act. Although grizzlies are now doing better in some areas such as around Yellowstone National Park, before they can be delisted they have to be doing better over a wider range.
DB: A plan has been developed to restore grizzly bears to two wilderness areas – 3 1/2 million acres of good bear habitat – in Idaho and western Montana. The plan calls for five bears to be introduced to this area every year for five years. Similar re-introductions have worked in places like northern Italy and Austria. In 2000, the U.S. government approved the plan. But it was challenged by state government and reintroduction efforts are now stalled.
DB: Wildlife biologist Sterling Miller says if an area is protected enough to sustain grizzlies, other species thrive, too – lynx, bull trout, wolverine, mountain caribou. Miller and colleagues are preparing these wilderness areas in Idaho and Montana for a grizzly bear homecoming. For example, they’re replacing conventional dumpsters with bear-proof versions.
JB: That way, he says, whether the bears get there on their own or with the help of people, the land will be ready for them. Thanks today to the National Park Service and to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. We’re Block and Byrd for Earth and Sky.
Additional Teacher Resources
National Park Service. Bering Land Bridge National Preserve: Grizzly Bears-
A brief overview on the natural life history of the grizzly, as well as habitat and social behavior.
USDA Forest Service: Bear Country
Retired U.S. Army General H. Norman Schwarzkopf leads you through an overview of the North American Grizzly Bear, covering material on bear characteristics, food habits, hibernation, reproduction, grizzly recovery, research, management and much more.
USDA Forest Service: Grizzly Bear Recovery
The Grizzly Bear once numbered more that 50,000 and roamed the prairies, forests, shorelines, and foothills from the Great Plains to the California Coast and south to Mexico. Now there are fewer than 1,100 grizzlies remaining in less than 2% of their original habitat. This report explains the decline of the grizzly and its gradual recovery.
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Endangered Species Program: Grizzly Bear Recovery
When Lewis and Clark explored the West in the early 1800s, an estimated 50,000 grizzly roamed between the Pacific Ocean and the Great Plains. But when pioneers moved in, bears were persecuted and their range drastically declined. Today with the United States inhabited by more and more Americans, only a few small corners of grizzly country remain, supporting about 1,200 wild grizzly bears.
U.S. Geological Survey: Grizzly Bears
A lengthy report on the status and trends of the grizzly bear in the western United States since the mid-1800s.
