Is This What the Future Looks Like for Greater Yellowstone’s Grizzlies?
On Tuesday, November 3rd and Wednesday, November 4th, the Yellowstone Ecosystem Subcommittee of the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee convened in Jackson, Wyoming to discuss current trends in the Yellowstone grizzly population and the status of any forthcoming rule to delist the iconic bear. Members of the Committee presented data on population estimates, trends, and mortality, and the Committee believes that all signs point towards a recovered population that no longer needs Endangered Species Act protections.
While there are many groups and individuals that believe delisting the bear now would be premature due to threats resulting from ongoing changes to habitat, food sources, and the climate, there is another threat looming: sport hunting. Sport hunting of large carnivores is a brutal, antiquated practice of random killing that is provided by wildlife managers as a “recreational opportunity” for a very small minority. The post-delisting world for Greater Yellowstone’s grizzlies will very likely be one in which sport hunting of the magnificent bear occurs. Is this the future we desire for Yellowstone’s most iconic resident?
Click here to see for yourself what grizzly bear hunting looks like…
Warning: The article contains graphic photos and videos from a real grizzly bear hunt.