Recent Grizzly Kills Hurt Species’ Chance At Recovery Game And Fish Estimates Put 250 Bears In Yellowstone Area

Each time a grizzly dies at the hands of a human being, it hurts the animal’s chances of being taken off the Endangered Species List, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department said.

There are no specific population thresholds for the grizzly, which is considered a threatened species, said Dave Moody, the chief bear biologist with the department.

However, there are guidelines which stipulate that human-caused mortalities cannot exceed 4 percent of the maximum population estimate, and that female mortalities can make up only 30 percent of those cases.

The standards represent the annual mortality rates biologists believe the grizzly population can withstand and still remain healthy, Moody said.

Eight bears already have been killed by humans this year, he said. That means if another female or three male bears are killed, this year’s mortality rate will exceed guidelines for the third consecutive year.

The department’s conservative estimates put the grizzly population in the Greater Yellowstone Area at about 250.

Officials also fear that grizzly population could be used to reintroduce the bear in central Idaho, further diluting the prospects for delisting in Wyoming and Montana.

Grizzly bears are among the slowest mammals in the world to reproduce. They breed every third year, and the cubs - generally two - den with their mothers for two years before setting out on their own.

The bears mate in late June or early July, but won’t become pregnant until November, he said. The females carry sperm from the male until they are ready to den for the winter. At that point, the bear’s body determines if it can sustain a cub through hibernation.

Although certain environmental groups say the grizzly is not doing as well as it should, Moody said much progress has been made.

“All of the empirical data suggests that we have an expanding population,” he said, adding that more than 45 percent of grizzly conflicts have occurred outside the recovery zone.

The Sierra Club does not dispute the Game and Fish department’s population information, but claims that without proper habitat protection, the bear never will be safe.

Club representative Laurie Smith, said the Sierra Club is pushing for habitat protection that allows no “wiggle room.”