Yellowstone Grizzlies Endangered Again

Last month, I blogged about a the recent killings of grizzly bears in Montana. The grizzlies of Montana are back in the news this week with their return to the Endangered Species list.

Image via Wikipedia

In 2007, the approximately 500 grizzlies in Yellowstone were delisted, but the Greater Yellowstone Coalition appealed this ruling and won. The court decided to relist them as endangered because they agreed with the coalition that the Fish & Wildlife Service didn't have adequate regulatory mechanisms to protect the bears.

The court also stated that the agency didn't properly consider the effects of global warming and the decline of whitebark pine nuts, which are a major food source for grizzlies.

The coalition calls the grizzly "an iconic symbol of Greater Yellowstone’s power and beauty." My boys have friends who saw a grizzly up close and personal in Yellowstone this summer. They didn't mention the beauty, but the bear certainly had the power to make them retreat quickly to their car! They were most impressed with the giant claws.

Welcome back to the list Grizzlies...