Bring Back the Grizzly
By: Allison Sykes
Ecology of the Grizzly Bear:
Ursus arctos horribilis, more commonly known as the Grizzly Bear, is a mammal and a subspecies of the Brown Bear. A full grown Grizzly Bear can weigh up to 800 pounds and can live to be 25 years old in the wild. This animal is an omnivore, it's diet consisting of berries, mushrooms, roots, fish, deer and elk. Most of their diet is plant based. This species is known to hibernate for about 3-6 months during the winter in North America. The Grizzly Bear plays a very important role in it's environment by spreading seeds, providing nutrients, and keeping prey populations regulated. Keeping these populations regulated allows for more plant and animal species to survive and thrive in that habitat and also for those populations to grow. The Grizzly used to roam the Western States along with Canada and Alaska and there were around 50,000 bears. However, today, there are only about 1,800 left in the wild, ranging in Alaska, lower Canada, and Yellowstone National Park. They live can live in many different habitats including dense forests, meadows, and tundras. Mature Grizzlies usually range about 300 square miles of territory.
Listing of the Grizzly Bear:
On July 28, 1975, the Grizzly Bear was listed as threatened, in the lower 48 states, under the Endangered Species Act by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The recovery plan created for the Grizzly Bear is called the 'Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem Grizzly Bear Conservation Strategy'. The plan was created in 1993, revised in 2006, and implemented on May 3 of 2013, and ranges the mountain-prairie region of the lower 48 states. This plan is designed to help the bear recover by scientists managing and monitoring their habitat, preventing conflict and nuisance with bears, and educating and outreaching to ensure that the bear's population grows back to it's full potential. Main threats posed to the Grizzly Bear are being hunted by the public or being deemed a 'nuisance bear' in campsites or rural areas. To help the bear, federal and states agencies have ended hunting seasons of the grizzly in the Yellowstone Ecosystem and have created the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team to help coordinate bear management tactics between state and the federal agencies. The goal of the recovery plan is to manage grizzly conflict in their recovery zones.
What you can do to help the Grizzly!
When it comes to helping threatened or endangered animals of course we all want to but sometimes don't know how. Well, if you an outdoorsy person who loves to camp and hike where bears live make sure to be smart about your food and safety! If you're backpacking purchase a bear canister which allows you food to be sealed tight. If you're camping in an area with bears, use the food storage lockers, if provided, that are capable of keeping bears out. Keeping your food stored safely will help prevent human and bear encounters. If you do encounter a Grizzly Bear it's important to stay calm and get your bear mace at hand, which you should always carry if you are hiking in bear territory. Check to see if the bear has cubs with them and if it does make sure not to get between the bear and it's cubs. Keep them at a distance and stay together with your group, then slowly back away from the bear. However, if the bear is not acting aggressively and seems just curious, stand your ground and get your bear mace ready to administer, you do not want to appear weak or as prey to the bear. Taking these steps to lessen the chance of a negative bear encounter can help save the grizzly bear.
Learn more about the Grizzly:
https://www.nwf.org/Wildlife/Wildlife-Library/Mammals/Grizzly-Bear.aspx
http://ecos.fws.gov/docs/recovery_plan/NCDE_Draft_CS_Apr2013_Final_Version_corrected%20headers_1.pdf
http://ecos.fws.gov/docs/recovery_plan/NCDE_Draft_CS_Apr2013_Final_Version_corrected%20headers_1.pdf
Sources:
"Grizzly Bears and the Endangered Species Act." www.nps.com.
"NCDE Grizzly Bear Conservation Strategy." ecos.fws.gov.
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