Yogi’s Rocky Mountain Rave — Record Level of Bears Captured
By Michael Frank, Adventure Journal on December 5th, 2011
The number of grizzlies captured in the Northern Rockies more than doubled this year above long-term averages — a whopping 44, compared to 17 in a typical year in the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem. Some were relocated, some were euthanized. So, no, it’s not your imagination: Bear-human conflicts are increasing dramatically. “We are entering a new era in grizzly bear management,” said Jim Williams of the U.S. Forest Service. The bear population is now around 1,000 and growing two to three percent a year. One culprit: Humans raising poultry. One-third of the bears caught were killing chickens.
