Bearing Down On Grizzly Facts

DOWNLOAD THE NEW GRIZZLY BEAR FACT SHEET!

With the seemingly never-ending controversy surrounding wolf recovery, grizzly bears in the Northern Rockies often get short shrift. But the dramatic return of this lumbering giant is an equally important wildlife conservation success story and a testament to the incredible importance of the Endangered Species Act.

Some 50,000 grizzlies once wandered from the Great Plains to the Pacific Coast before widespread persecution nearly wiped them out. By the 1970s, only 400 grizzly bears remained and were distributed across just two percent of their historic range.

A place to call home

Thanks to ESA protections put in place in 1975, and dedicated conservation efforts from Defenders and others, grizzlies are making a comeback. More than 1,600 individuals range throughout the Northern Rockies, with 900 in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem and 700 in the northern Continental Divide ecosystem in Montana.

Yet, while these two populations have recovered, several other populations are still struggling to gain a toehold. Only 50 to 60 grizzlies inhabit the Selkirk Mountains of Idaho, 40 live in the Cabinet-Yaak Mountains of Montana, and just six are hanging on for survival in the North Cascade Mountains of Washington. There are no documented viable populations of grizzlies in the Bitterroot Mountains that straddle the Idaho and Montana border. These other areas have excellent grizzly bear habitat, which is why Defenders continues to push for restoration in these areas.

Part of nature’s balance

Grizzlies in the Northern Rockies feed primarily on vegetation such as berries, grasses and sedges. As omnivores with massive home ranges, they help disperse seeds by consuming fruit and leaving behind their dung, which replenishes plant life for the benefit of countless species. Like wolves and other large predators, grizzlies also help keep prey species in check such as moose, elk and deer, and provide carrion that feeds other scavengers.

Check out the fact sheet we put together to further describe Defenders’ efforts to return healthy grizzly populations to the wilds of the Northern Rockies. It includes a map of recovery areas, a timeline of recovery and details of our grizzly bear coexistence projects that promote proactive tools for reducing conflict (like bear-proof dumpsters and bear-resistant fencing for chickens and other livestock).

For more information, visit our grizzly page on Defenders’ website.