Grizzly Bears

Last November, Idaho Fish and Game killed a sow and two cubs, saying the bears showed little fear toward humans and became habituated to areas near homes in rural Fremont County.

A drive-through wildlife park in eastern Idaho was found to be violating federal and state regulations in the last year. Under a new state law, it’ll have less oversight.

Conservative lawmakers in the West are reviving efforts to delist certain populations of the grizzly bear and gray wolf from the Endangered Species Act, and last week they made their case to remove federal protections before a U.S. House subcommittee.

Conservation groups are speaking out against three bills in Congress that would delist grizzly bears and gray wolves from endangered species protections.

The grizzly bear will remain on the Endangered Species list, even after a petition from Idaho to remove it.

In a news release, the Idaho Department Fish and Game said the bears first became a public safety concern this fall in Yellowstone National Park when they seemed used to residential areas.

A study out of Utah State University tapped the expertise of ranchers to see which barriers work and which don’t. Depending on the location, growing season and habitat, certain materials and layouts could be cheaper and more effective than alternatives. In some cases, electric or barbed wire might work, while in others, mesh or wood is sufficient.

Teton County lawmakers passed a law this year trying to reduce future conflicts. They’re now requiring people in some parts of Jackson Hole to secure their trash and other attractants, something studies show is the number one cause of human-bear friction.

Idaho Fish and Game has killed five grizzly bears near the Wyoming border in the span of four days this month.

As grizzlies move beyond the boundaries of the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem and create conflict, Montana seeks full management authority.