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11/10/07 "Safari Club International and Safari Club International Foundation say they will represent the hunting community against a lawsuit that challenges the Endangered Species Act delisting of grizzly bears in Greater Yellowstone." 11/8/07 Province says no need for public inquiry into fatal Bear 99 attack "Provincial officials are saying a public investigation into the 2005 fatal mauling of a Canmore woman by a grizzly is not necessary because there is no new information or recommendations to be uncovered and there has been no public outcry or interest in pursuing it." 11/8/07 Mother of mauling victim presses Yukon to convert wilderness to theme park "The mother of a man who was mauled to death by a grizzly bear in the Yukon last year visited the territory this week, calling on the territorial government to invest in bush safety research." 11/7/07 PETA Calls On Feds to Investigate, Revoke License of Zoo Following Bear Mauling "For Immediate Release: November 7, 2007 Contact: Lisa Wathne 757-622-7382 Coram, Mont. - This morning, PETA sent an urgent letter to Dr. Robert M. Gibbens, Western Regional director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) animal care unit, urging him to immediately launch an investigation into Great Bear Adventure Park, an unaccredited roadside zoo in Coram. PETA's request comes in the wake of news reports that a grizzly bear mauled a man thought to be a zoo employee on November 2. PETA points out that the menagerie may have violated the federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA), which addresses safe handling procedures. Because Great Bear Adventure Park has a history of unsafe animal-handling practices--including two incidents in July 2004, in which an employee was attacked by a grizzly bear and a bear smashed a visitor's car window--PETA is asking the USDA to take steps to revoke Great Bear Adventure Park's exhibitor's license if an investigation determines that the recent incident constitutes a violation of the AWA. Animals in zoos are routinely deprived of everything that is natural and important to them, including the opportunity to run, hunt, forage for food, and live in natural social groups. Many animals go insane from confinement and the lack of physical exercise and mental stimulation. As a result, animals attack their keepers and visitors--since 1990, there have been two fatal bear attacks on humans and more than 30 attacks that resulted in injuries. 'Most roadside zoos deprive animals of their basic needs, so it's not surprising that the animals sometimes get fed up and lash out,' says PETA Director Debbie Leahy. 'Bears are wild animals, not wind-up toys. They need to be treated with respect and caution.'" 11/6/07 "Sometimes the weight of a news story isn’t fully felt until pictures ground the abstract. In this case, it’s pictures of a dead 700-pound grizzly bear, hit by a pickup truck on Highway 200 near Lincoln, Montana, about three weeks ago" 11/6/07 Grizzly bear shot and killed near Ovando "Another grizzly bear is dead following a run-in with a western Montana hunter but this time the hunter got away unscathed." 11/5/07 "The medical condition of an employee mauled by a grizzly bear at the Great Bear Adventure drive-through bear park is unknown because the bite victim doesn't want the information released." 11/2/07 Builder goes the bear-friendly route "When developer Doug Day started selling lots for the University Heights subdivision in Squamish, B.C., he knew his new 200-home development was smack in the middle of bear country, and he knew the difficulties that came with it. Because many local black bears have become accustomed to picking easy meals out of the town's garbage bins, dozens of the animals, and the occasional grizzly, are killed in the region every year by conservation officers. Mr. Day didn't like that option." 11/1/07 Alberta probes hunter's shooting of grizzly "The province is investigating the shooting death of a female grizzly bear by a hunter in southwestern Alberta. Provincial officials say a hunting party reported shooting a grizzly sow in self-defence at a provincial park in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, where elk and sheep season is open." 10/31/07 Hunter who distrurbed grizzly bear identified "A hunter was mauled by a bear Tuesday morning, the fourth such attack near Gardiner this fall. The attack happened around 9 a.m. on private land near Mulherin Creek." 10/31/07 4th mauled this fall near Gardiner "A hunter was mauled by a bear Tuesday morning, the fourth such attack near Gardiner this fall. The attack happened around 9 a.m. on private land near Mulherin Creek." 10/31/07 Female grizzly deaths close to upper limit "Less than a year after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service removed protection for Greater Yellowstone grizzlies under the Endangered Species Act, federal scientists say female grizzly mortalities are approaching the threshold that could trigger a review. So far in 2007, research teams documented a near-record 50 females with cubs of the year, with an average litter size of 2.16 cubs. But, those same researchers estimate that about 18 female grizzlies over 2 years of age have died from hunting accidents, management removals and natural causes." 10/30/07 Bears pressured by development in the Canadian Rockies "The southern Canadian Rockies are still home to the most diverse assemblage of carnivores in North America, but a new report released today by the Wildlife Conservation Society Canada (WCSC) says booming development there could threaten them without careful planning and the implementation of conservation safeguards. " 10/28/07 Bears' Small Habitat Motivates New Exhibit at the Pocatello Zoo "Poor living conditions for the two grizzly bears at the Pocatello zoo have motivated officials to build them a new living area." 10/26/07 More Yellowstone Grizzlies, Grizzly Deaths "Six months after Yellowstone area grizzlies were delisted, federal and state managers say there are more grizzlies, and more bears killed in Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho. Yellowstone area grizzlies were taken off the endangered species list in April, after a multi-agency group called the Yellowstone Ecosystem Subcommittee worked to bring grizzly numbers back up. In Jackson this week, all of the players, including the federal officials, state managers, and tribal officials came to talk about the state of the grizzly, andit’s future.” The group is now called the Yellowstone Grizzly Coordinating committee. Study Team leader Chuck Schwartz reported a high bear mortality rate this year, with 25 grizzly deaths: 22 human caused." 10/26/07 "Officials say 2007 is, so far, an average year for grizzly conflicts in the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem despite a poor food year that has increased black bear conflicts five-fold in locations like Jackson Hole." 10/25/07 Another hunter - another dead grizzly. This time on the Two Medicine River "A hunter shot and killed a grizzly bear that charged him late Tuesday morning in the South Fork of the Two Medicine River in the Lewis and Clark National Forest southwest of East Glacier. Carl Haggar of East Glacier was hunting elk when he encountered the 350-pound female and a cub-of-the-year, according to Mike Madel, a bear management specialist with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks." 10/24/07 Science on grizzly decline disputed by ORV anecdotes "A plan to restrict motor vehicle access to the Rocky Mountain eastern slopes to protect Alberta grizzlies has raised the ire of off-road vehicle riders, hunters and anglers. Critics of the proposal by the Grizzly Bear Recovery Team don't believe the bear population is dwindling despite recent counts that suggest there are fewer than 500 grizzlies in the province. 'The statistics we're hearing are so out to lunch, based on practical experience, that they need to be reviewed by somebody,' said Bob Smith, president of the Alberta Off Highway Vehicle Association." 10/23/07 County to consider new bear regulations "County commissioners are set to vote on a Wyoming Game and Fish Department plan to require bear-proof garbage containers for many parts of Teton County. The Teton County Board of Commissioners will revisit the matter during its meeting at 9 a.m. today in its chambers, at 200 S. Willow St. It was tabled two weeks ago to clarify some language. The new rules would require trash containers that meet the minimum standards set by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee. Under the newer regulation, only those people living in certain “conflict zones” would be required to use those new containers." 10/22/07 FWP relocates griz that mauled birdhunter to Ear Mountain "The grizzly bear that mauled a bird hunter near the town of Dupuyer along the Rocky Mountain Front was captured and relocated last week, state wildlife officials said today. The 2-year-old male bear was captured Oct. 18 in a culvert trap near the spot on Dupuyer Creek where a week earlier the animal attacked a bird hunter." 10/20/07 Study: About 240 grizzlies live in Glacier park "A study of grizzly bears in and around Glacier National Park estimates 240 of the bears live in a 2 million acre area." 10/19/07 Government okays plan to save grizzlies "The Alberta government moved Thursday to accept most of the recommendations of a task force it struck five years ago to develop a plan to save grizzly bears." 10/17/07 Grizzlies becoming more common around Priest Lake "Grizzly bears are getting a little too up close and personal with a few neighbors in the Priest Lake area. Just two weeks ago, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game shot and killed a 250-pound grizzly near Nordman, on the west side of the lake. A few days later another grizzly had to be relocated. And this may be only the beginning of grizzly encounters in North Idaho." 10/17/07 Hunter remembers grizzly attack "The Stevensville bird hunter who survived a grizzly bear mauling Monday on Dupuyer Creek said the encounter was over in seconds. However, that brief encounter will leave him with lifelong scars on his hands, arms, head and leg. 'It looked like a big, round ball rolling at you with a head on it,' Brian Grand said of the bear's blindingly quick charge. It was the fifth grizzly-hunter clash in Montana this year, which is not unusually high, officials said. Grand likely was attacked by a young male, 300 to 400 pounds, which was caught by surprise as it bedded in the willows 300 yards from a cow carcass on which it had been feeding, said Mike Madel, a Choteau-based bear management specialist with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks." 10/17/07 "Although biologists now understand many facets of the biology of the Yellowstone’s grizzlies, the fact that food sources will be ever-changing and affecting the well-being of the park’s grizzlies means scientists must continue these studies for as long as Yellowstone National Park exists and grizzly bears roam its beautiful landscapes." 10/17/07 Stewart, B.C. - Grizzly bear relocated "Students at Stewart's Bear Valley School got a rare opportunity to get face-to-face with a mature grizzly after the bear was trapped near the school early Monday." 10/16/07 Grizzly bear mauls bird hunter near Valier "A 38-year-old man who was mauled by a grizzly bear near Valier was in good condition at Benefis East Hospital in Great Falls late Monday evening. Brian Grand, of Stevensville, was attacked by the bear as he and three companions were bird hunting approximately 15 miles southwest of Valier on Monday afternoon." 10/15/07 Alberta: "As few as 500 are left in the province as contact with humans continues to prove fatal, despite a hunting moratorium" 10/15/07 "At least four grizzly bears have been killed in encounters with hunters in Wyoming this year, according to Wyoming Game and Fish Department bear management officer Mark Bruscino." 10/15/07 Bear deaths weigh heavily on biologist "Alberta scientist hopes new alarm will reduce research mishaps" 10/13/07 Death of bear in Bitterroots causing ripples "Within days of the kill, the rules and expectations for hunting the region changed. Grizzly experts from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, along with state officials in Idaho and Montana, are already plotting excursions next summer to see if other grizzlies have taken up residence in the Bitterroot. Then there are the potential long-term implications. For example, what does one bear's presence mean for logging and ranching? " 10/11/07 "A last-minute save from the U.S. Forest Service will keep a grizzly bear study in the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem alive. Flathead National Forest Supervisor Cathy Barbouletos announced to a group of wildlife and land managers last week that she has been able to secure $377,00 from area forests to continue the study." 10/11/07 County to ask judge to reverse decision on land "The Missoula County commissioners intend to ask a judge next week to reverse his decision that allowed a previously denied subdivision in the Swan Valley to move forward." "At a meeting Wednesday, the commissioners unanimously agreed with County Attorney Fred Van Valkenburg, who asserts that expert testimony suggests this subdivision sits in the middle of a grizzly bear corridor. Therefore, the judge should deny the subdivision and the county will prepare for trial, they said." 10/10/07 Grizzly thoughts go to far northern travel "Some grizzly bears in the Northwest Territories are travelling far north of their usual habitat — 500 kilometres farther north, in fact, according to scientists who spotted one this summer on Melville Island." 10/10/07 Pregnant Moose Cozy Up To Traffic "Roads and motor vehicles aren't generally thought of as beneficial to forest critters. But when it's time for moose to give birth in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, they head to where it is safest from predators - namely closer to people. At least, that's according to a new study by the Wildlife Conservation Society." 10/10/07 Grizzly research deserves funding "It’s a shame that grizzly bear research in the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem has repeatedly relied on slap-dash, last-minute, patchwork funding. It’s a pursuit that deserves more attention and support than it has gotten over time." 10/10/07 Wilderness could grow 16,000 acres "According to ROCC, research suggests the Teakettle/Beaver Creek region may have been habitat for the last of the grizzly bears documented in the Sneffels Range in the 1930s." 10/10/07 "Two weeks ago, a grizzly bear turned up in the Selway-Bitterroot ecosystem 50 years after the last grizzly was killed there. Scientists and conservationists have known for some time that the large Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness area offers secure habitat for grizzlies. I and many other conservationists dreamed of the day that the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness would be truly wild and once again and contain grizzlies. However, sadly this grizzly was not only killed but was killed over bait by a hunter from Tennessee. Without guidance from the outfitter who accepted his money for this privilege, he probably did not know that this was indeed a very rare bear." 10/9/07 Traps snag clumps of grizzly fur for study "Clumps of hair are being collected from grizzly bears in Banff National Park so scientists know exactly how many of the animals are using wildlife crossings to safely negotiate the otherwise deadly Trans-Canada Highway." 10/9/07 The Edmonton Journal: "The sharp decline in the province's grizzly bear population must be urgently addressed. After years of inaction, denial of the problem and inertia, the government has to take some dramatic steps or we risk losing this noble species -- and that would be a great tragedy. Population surveys this year revealed that numbers have declined possibly to fewer than 400 bears from 1,000 that roamed the Rocky Mountains and wilderness in 2000." 10/10/07 Another hunter gets bit near Gardiner "On Monday, Morris said he still didn’t understand why the bear attacked. She was with three cubs, but they weren’t under any threat as far as he could tell. Morris wasn’t carrying pepper spray, saying he wasn’t convinced it’s as effective at keeping bears at bay as some claim." What a genius. 10/8/07 Officials say fatal bear shooting was self defense "Wildlife officials say a female grizzly bear died after a Pennsylvania hunter defending himself and his companion shot the animal north of Yellowstone National Park." 10/8/07 "Researchers estimate that in 30 days, a bear feeding extensively on moths can consume 47 percent of its annual energy needs. During peak feeding periods when moths are abundant, bears eat approximately 40,000 moths a day -- equivalent to 20,000 kilocalories per day, or 38.5 Big Macs. The moths sup nectar from the flower-filled alpine meadows by night, then spend their days hiding beneath the jumbled rocks in talus fields near the tops of mountains in the Absaroka Range. The rocks have just enough mass to moderate temperatures between extremes of hot and cold, as well as jumbled space for the moths to hide within. " 9/18/07 Lowlifes at elk hunting ranch leaving gut piles "Critics of an eastern Idaho elk hunting ranch are blaming the area's increased grizzly bear activity on piles of guts left out after paying guests shoot farm-raised game." 9/15/07 Bears being moved, killed, etc.... This article reports another year of slaughter and excuses as scores of bears pay for human greed and stupidity. 9/15/07 Another hunter slapped around north of Yellowstone "For the second time in less than a week, a grizzly bear has mauled a hunter in the Gardiner area north of Yellowstone. The latest attack prompted Yellowstone officials to close a section of the park west of Gardiner, coinciding with an emergency closure of an adjacent area of the Gallatin National Forest. A grizzly bear mauled the bow hunter Friday as he was elk hunting in the Beattie Gulch area of the forest. Yellowstone spokesman Al Nash said the man walked two miles out of the forest after the attack. The hunter was then transported by ambulance to an area hospital. Nash didn’t release the man’s name or the extent of his injuries Friday evening." 9/13/07 "CANTABRIAN brown bears have developed a slightly different genetic identity to other brown bears, including the European. This is due to the geography of the Iberian peninsula effectively cutting them off from other populations to the North. However, they have not been recognised by the scientific community as a distinct subspecies, being referred to as simply Ursus arctos." 9/12/07 Grizzly populations in decline near proposed resort "A new study reveals there are far fewer grizzly bears than previously estimated near the proposed Jumbo Glacier Resort. A report released earlier this summer by seven of the world’s leading grizzly experts reveals inaccuracies in information used in the Environmental Assessment (EA) process for the controversial proposed Jumbo Glacier Resort. Although the proponent in the Jumbo EA process used a figure of 93 per cent, the new study shows grizzly populations in the Purcells are actually at a mere 54 per cent of their potential. A species population is deemed ‘threatened’ when populations fall below 50 per cent of carrying capacity. The report, entitled ‘Abundance and density of Central Purcell, South Purcell, Yahk, and South Selkirk Grizzly Bear Population Units in southeast British Columbia’, was co-authored by both US and Canadian grizzly experts, and is based on years of fieldwork and DNA analysis. '" 9/11/07 Yellowstone safety officer kills a grizzly bear "A Yellowstone National Park employee managed to shoot and wound a grizzly bear as it attacked him during a weekend hunting trip just north of the park, a Yellowstone spokesman said Monday. Ken Meyer, the park's safety officer, was recovering from surgery Monday following his run-in with the female grizzly near Gardiner, said park spokesman Al Nash. He suffered 'deep injuries' including bites to his back and other injuries to his left leg, stomach and both forearms, Nash said. Meyer, who was being treated at Livingston Memorial Hospital, told Nash that he had just started down a trail to go black bear hunting in the Gallatin National Forest when 'the sow came out of nowhere, launched at him and knocked him to the ground.'" 9/11/07 Ecologists Get To The Bottom Of Why Bears Rub Trees "Ecologists have at last got to the bottom of why bears rub trees – and it's not because they have itchy backs. Speaking at the British Ecological Society's Annual Meeting in Glasgow the week of September 10, Dr Owen Nevin of the University of Cumbria will reveal that adult male grizzly bears use so-called 'rub trees' as a way to communicate with each other while looking for breeding females, and that this behaviour could help reduce battles between the bears." 9/10/07 Hungry bears going about their business seen as causing problems on the Front "A car or truck collided with a grizzly bear and killed the animal late Saturday night on U.S. Highway 89 about six miles north of Choteau. A waning choke cherry crop has the bears foraging farther out onto the prairie as they try and fatten up for winter and bear managers are dealing with a number of bear incidents from the weekend." 9/7/07 "The bear killed this week was in the Selway-Bitterroot ecosystem that includes part of north-central Idaho and western Montana, and where wildlife officials have been expecting grizzly bears to repopulate on their own." 9/7/07 Bear shot by hunter may be suffering "A bow hunter apparently wounded a bear Thursday evening that charged him in the South Fork of Canyon Creek in the North Fork Flathead drainage. The bear appears to have been hit by one or more of the hunter’s pistol shots, according to a news release from Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. It is not known whether the animal was a black bear or a grizzly bear. Fish, Wildlife and Parks Warden Perry Brown and bear biologist Tim Manley tracked the wounded bear Friday for four or five hours, following a clear blood trail. After tracking the bear for three or four miles, the men lost the bear’s blood trail. It is uncertain if the bear would survive given its substantial blood loss." 8/31/07 Absurdity: "Blondie" becomes "Winnie" "Expelled from Yellowstone for minor disturbances, a young female grizzly bear arrived at WSU’s Bear Research Center on Aug. 21. The 3-year-old blonde joined the nine others in residence.
8/31/07 "Whitebark pine cone production was good this summer, according to research recently released by grizzly bear experts. That’s good news for bears and people this fall, but it doesn’t address the long-term survival of whitebark pines themselves.
8/29/07 Summer grizzly slaughter in Anchorage continues as bear carcasses left to rot near Bird Creek ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - "State wildlife officials say the number of bears illegally shot and left to rot near Bird Creek south of Anchorage is growing. Wildlife biologist Rick Sinnott says the summer started with two bears found dead and dumped off the Seward Highway. Another was found on a beach near Kincaid Park. And one was left in Girdwood last week. Just this weekend, another bear was found on the beach near Bird Point. Biologists say the number of unreported bear killings around Anchorage this year is the highest in at least the past decade. That has led to speculation that vigilantes are taking bear problems into their own hands.” 8/28/07 Grizzly killed in collision with truck STERLING, Alaska (AP) - "Alaska State Troopers are reporting that a grizzly was killed this weekend in a collision with a pickup on the Kenai Peninsula. Troopers say 52-year-old Louis Katzenberger of Sterling was heading north on the Sterling Highway when the bear ran into the road.” 8/27/07 Bears cause ruckus at campground WEST YELLOWSTONE — "Roaming bears at a campground here kept campers and wildlife officials up late over the weekend, and sent a Billings man home with bite marks on his leg. On Friday night, camper Dan Root was resting in a sleeping bag outside his tent at the KOA campground six miles west of West Yellowstone. Root awoke with a yell when a curious bear bit him lightly on his leg. The yell frightened the bear away, but not before it bit into an empty cooler at a nearby campsite. ” 8/24/07 More on the Grande Praire stabbing “I had a camouflage mask on so I took that off so that she could see that I was a human, thinking that would scare her away. I started waving my arms and screaming and it never fazed her. She just dropped down to all fours and charged.” 8/23/07 A nice little piece of sarcasm: What bears can do for us "For one thing, we’ve given the forest a purpose — a real role in human affairs. Sure, the forest is wildlife habitat and provides us with oxygen and all that highfalutin stuff, but, really, what good is untrammeled, scenic wilderness if we, as humans, can’t look at it?
8/22/07 Grizzly bear removed from Yellowstone "Yellowstone National Park authorities captured a 3-year-old female grizzly bear Sunday after multiple hazing and relocation efforts failed to keep her away from developed areas near Yellowstone Lake. Bear managers transported the 140-pound grizzly by truck to Washington State University's Bear Research, Education and Conservation Program in Pullman, Wash." 8/22/07 Now I've heard everything: Group plays polo to benefit bears "An Alaskan cruise proved more than merely relaxing for Jim Drury and his wife, Peggy, of Barrington Hills. It gave him them the idea to organize an event to raise money for bear conservation in North America. While on the cruise, they met Rupert Pilkington, a North American bear naturalist. 'We were just captured by his thoughts, by the importance of the bear in the animal chain,' Jim Drury said. That meeting led to Ponies Playing for Bears, a fundraiser to help Pilkington's Ursus International Conservation Institute build a research and education facility in Alberta." 8/22/07 Grizzly slaughter in Fairbanks this summer thanks to slob residents. "State wildlife biologists are hoping to trap and kill a troublesome bear in Salcha after learning the bear reportedly killed a dog in a garage and that it has been eating garbage and pet food on porches."
8/20/07 Orphaned bear cub caught near Grande Prairie "One of three grizzly bear cubs orphaned last week has been caught near Grande Prairie, says Alberta Sustainable Resource Development. Last week, a hunter accidentally came between the cubs and their mother. He was scouting out an area near the community of Grovedale in preparation for the upcoming elk-hunting season. The mother bear attacked, and the man fought back, stabbing the bear with a machete and killing her." 8/20/07 Greenpeace blasts boreal forest destruction "An investigative report by an environmental group has singled out 35 companies, many of which are popular household brand names, for fueling the destruction of Canada’s Boreal forest. The report by Greenpeace Canada criticizes four main logging companies, Abitibi-Consolidated, Bowater, Kruger and SFK Pulp, accusing them of being responsible for eliminating nearly 200,000 square kilometres of the forest, which is considered to be one of the largest ancient forests on earth. But it also singles out many well-known businesses such as Best Buy, Grand & Toy, Time Inc., Sears, Coles/Indigo and Toys “R” Us, for being customers that encourage the practices of the logging companies because of the magazines, flyers or products they sell and distribute. 'The Boreal Forest is the largest storehouse of terrestrial carbon on the planet, storing 47.5 billion tons—seven times the entire world’s annual fossil fuel emissions,' reads the report that was released on Monday in Montreal. " 8/20/07 Grizzly bears, not sloppy campers, are captured in E. Idaho "A female grizzly bear and her two cubs have been captured in eastern Idaho, after becoming habituated to food from campers. Wildlife officials say the bears will not be released back into the wild. Officials with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game say it's unclear what will become of the bears." 8/20/07 "Whether a grizzly bear becomes famous or infamous, or lives anonymously in some remote wilderness, often depends on location and luck." 8/20/07 Habitat Problems: Two case histories "Some bears never learn to coexist with people or livestock." 8/19/07 Hunter gets sentimental after being attacked by a bear his hunting party wounded ANCHORAGE — "A man who was attacked by a grizzly bear in Alaska has married his longtime girlfriend after she helped save his life. Shawn Evan, 32, married 31-year-old Lydia Jackson Friday at the Alaska Native Medical Center, The Anchorage Daily News reported. Evan was attacked by the bear July 31 while he and his friends were hunting in western Alaska. The hunting party fired several shots at the bear, but the bear turned and chased Evan and his friends -- eventually getting hold of Evan's leg and crushing a bone, the newspaper said." 8/17/07 Orphaned cubs sought after hunter kills their mother with knife Alberta: "Grande Prairie wildlife officials are on the lookout for three orphaned grizzly bear cubs after a knife-toting bow hunter killed a female grizzly that attacked him Wednesday night. The hunter, a man in his 30s, encountered the mother grizzly and her cubs just before 9:30 p.m. while he was scouting locations in an area near Secondary Highway 666 and Range Road 73 for the upcoming bowhunting season. The man, who is recovering from serious injuries in the QEII Hospital, declined an interview request Friday." 8/17/07 Idaho: "Campers say the Moose Creek Area near Island Park is usually a peaceful retreat, but early Friday morning a mother grizzly bear and her two cubs caused quite a commotion." 8/17/07 Wildfires prove a mixed bag for forest animals "'It's pretty obvious bears are being displaced by the fire,' said Mike Madel, a bear management specialist with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, who works bear country along the Rocky Mountain Front. Most bears, like most other wildlife, make it out of the way of slow-moving fires, he said. But blazes that blow up and advance with alarming speed can confuse or trap animals. Madel received reports of a grizzly bear racing from the Skyland fire near East Glacier when that blaze blew onto the prairie." 7/31/07 "YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK -- A history of fire suppression, an invasive fungal plague, and rampant insect infestation fueled by global warming add up to likely extinction for the whitebark pine and serious trouble for the grizzly bear and other species that depend on it, some scientists say." 7/30/07 Bear Grylls 'faked' grizzly attack "...Bear Grylls faked a bear attack by getting a colleague to dress up as one in fancy dress, it was claimed yesterday. The star of TV’s Born Survivor was filmed creeping out of a tent in a bear-infested forest, nervously looking at a shadow moving a few yards away. Back inside shelter Grylls, 33, says: 'It might well have moved away, but sure as hell it knows I’m here.' But an adviser for the Discovery Channel documentary, shown on Channel 4 last year, claimed the sinister shadow was a fake." 7/28/07 Wildlife Act changes challenged "A coalition of conservation groups took aim Friday at the B.C. government for proposed changes to the 25-year-old Wildlife Act that put an emphasis on killing rather than saving animals. The coalition is angry that the province wants to generate 20,000 new hunters in B.C. by 2014 -- with an emphasis on more young hunters -- and continue the unpopular grizzly bear hunt." 7/25/07 Grizzly bear rehabilitation centre first of its kind "The Northern Lights Wildlife Shelter (NLWS) has secured permits to operate the world’s first grizzly cub rehabilitation centre. The Grizzly Rehabilitation Pilot Project (GRPP) on Telkwa High Road is a joint-venture with the Ministry of Environment, who will issue a government order that any orphaned grizzly cubs captured within the boundaries of British Columbia will now be sent to the NLWS for rearing and release. Until now orphaned grizzly cubs were relocated to zoos. " 7/25/07 Grizzlies restrict Moraine Lake hikers to groups "The return of a resident grizzly bear sow and her two yearling cubs to a world-famous hiking area near Moraine Lake has forced Parks Canada to enforce mandatory hiking restrictions to protect both bears and people. As of Sunday (July 22), people by law must now hike in a tight group of four at Consolation Lakes, Larch Valley, Sentinel Pass, Wasatch Pass, Eiffel Lake, East Wenkchemna Pass, Sheol and Paradise Valleys after several sightings of the bruins. Parks Canada wants to avoid a dangerous clash between people and bears and will review the hiking restrictions every two weeks." 7/23/07 Banff campground shut after grizzly chases cyclists "The grizzly sow charged them from behind, forcing the two to jump off their bikes and make a run for it. 'It was a very serious bear encounter,' said Steve Michel, a human wildlife conflict specialist with Banff National Park." 7/20/07 Montana grizzlies in quarantine "Two Montana grizzly bears now call Colorado Springs home, but don’t expect to see them anytime soon. They’re in quarantine at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, and will live in a closed area there until the Rocky Mountain Wild exhibit opens next spring or summer. The bears, caught from the wild in Montana after repeatedly coming too close to humans, arrived Wednesday. " 7/19/07 Dead griz ‘vandalized' for claws "A female grizzly was killed by a car Monday and then someone saw fit to cut off some of her claws - probably for souvenirs. The bear was hit on U.S. Highway 2 about four miles east of West Glacier near Ouzel Creek. According to Tim Manley, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks grizzly bear management specialist, the 300-pound female was 10-12 years old. Manley said that the bear was lactating and most likely had cubs. As of presstime, the cubs had not been located." 7/19/07 Aspen grizzly came from Alaska poster "Whoever tried to pull off a hoax about a grizzly bear sighting in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness wasn’t very creative. A picture circulating as alleged proof of the sighting appears to be an image stolen from Chuck Bartlebaugh, a photographer and representative of the Be Bear Aware and Wildlife Stewardship Campaign in Missoula, Mont." 7/18/07 Buffalo berry removed in Canmore "If bears end up in the neighbourhood snacking on the berries, it not only increases the chance of a wildlife-human conflict, but could present the animals with other attractants like barbecues or garbage left outside. Jorgensen echoed that removing the berries in Rundleview is important because if you don't remove it as a significant bear attractant from the outskirts of town first, the bears will head into the residential areas looking for the food. " 7/18/07 Two grizzly bears leave Montana for Colorado zoo "Two male grizzly bears at the state wildlife shelter here have been sent to live at a Colorado zoo, the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks said Wednesday." 7/17/07 Not guilty pleas entered in Yukon bear mauling "Aurora Geosciences Ltd. on Tuesday pleaded not guilty to negligence charges in the case of an employee who was mauled to death by a bear in the Yukon last year." 7/17/07 Iconic park's grizzlies will feel the heat "In Alaska and British Columbia, grizzlies scoop salmon out of rivers. Grizzlies in the Northern Rockies have alternative food sources such as fruit from shrubs. Here, however, seedpods from the whitebark pine 'are arguably the most important fattening food available to grizzly bears during late summer and fall,' according to the government's Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team. 'The whitebark pine is on its way out: Whitebark is not going to make it without management intervention,' said Diana Tomback, a professor of biology at the University of Colorado and head of the Whitebark Pine Ecosystem Foundation." 7/17/07 Grizzly cub hit and killed on road "A male grizzly bear cub was hit and killed by a vehicle near the northeastern shore of Jackson Lake in the park, the National Park Service said Monday." 7/17/07 What it feels like to be mauled by an enraged grizzly bear "It gnawed on my head, and I could feel flesh tearing away. I grabbed the animal by the throat; its fur felt like a dirty wet dog, only thicker. I hit it with a rock, but the rock crumbled, so I wiggled back into the fetal position. Its teeth cut deep into the bottom of my skull; I actually heard bone cracking. I ripped myself loose and plunged another twenty feet down and into a crevice. The grizzly couldn't reach me. The terrain was too steep. It turned away, and a few seconds later I heard Jenna scream. And then I heard absolutely nothing. I touched the top of my head and felt only bone. What was left of my scalp hung in front of my face, and I couldn't open my right eye." 7/13/07 Orphaned Grizzly Bear Cub Gets a Second Chance "A six-month old orphaned grizzly bear cub, who arrived at the NLWS (Northern Lights Wildlife Society) in Smithers, BC on 2 July, will be cared for night and day until it can be released back into the wild." 7/13/07 Sanctuary in Boyd gets four bear cubs "The International Exotic Feline Sanctuary in Boyd has been home for almost two decades to rescued bobcats, cougars, jaguars, leopards, lions and tigers. Now they've got bears." 7/9/07 Forestry workers ward off attacking grizzly bear "Two forest contractors used their wits and a good shot of pepper spray to make a harrowing escape from a grizzly bear attack in southeastern British Columbia. The charging bear left one of the two hospitalized for four days with a badly chewed arm and some wounds to his leg. The two, a man and a woman, were in a deep thicket doing road planning work last week for Maple Leaf Forestry Consulting in Cranbrook, B.C. It appears they surprised the grizzly." 7/7/07 Feds say man killed grizzly last fall in self-defense "Federal officials won't charge a Lander man who shot a grizzly bear last fall while elk hunting on Togwotee Pass, saying he acted in self defense. Ken Meade, 65, killed the male grizzly at close range as it charged him. He said that killing the 4-year-old, 350-to-400 pound bear as it closed in on him was, `the luckiest shot of my life.'" 7/6/07 Grizzly just passes through campground "A large grizzly bear wandered through a full campground, and forest officials were relieved that neither the bear nor campers were hurt. The male bear was merely crossing through the Three Mile Campground on its way to the river last weekend, according to Mary Jane Luther, recreation supervisor for the Shoshone National Forest. " 7/5/07 Grizzly bear shot in Anchorage " Last night's stabbing wasn't the only incident that brought police to Mountain View last night. Just before the hostel stabbing, a grizzly bear was shot and killed. According to officials, it was the same grizzly that has been roaming near downtown for the last week. After the bear was seen running around the neighborhood, police were able to corner it down a ravine and shoot it. For many residents, it was a big relief." 7/3/07 Brown bear wanders Anchorage streets "Wildlife authorities in Anchorage, Alaska, said they are trying to capture a grizzly bear spotted wandering around the city's downtown. The brown bear, thought by authorities to be a young 250-pound female, has been seen wandering crowded neighborhoods at night on an almost daily basis, the Anchorage Daily News reported Tuesday." 7/3/07 Two grizzlies shot in Fairbanks on Chena Hot Springs Road "Two sibling grizzly bears were killed Sunday night within a half mile of each other on Chena Hot Springs Road, one by a state wildlife biologist responding to a report of two brazen bears in a woman’s yard, and the other by a homeowner who shot it after the bear tore a window out and ripped siding off his home. The two shootings bring the number of nuisance grizzly bears killed in and around Fairbanks this season to eight, not counting another grizzly that was found dead from a gunshot wound, a case that state wildlife troopers are investigating." 6/28/07 "There's been a rash of bear attacks throughout the northwest, including one inside Grand Teton National Park. Two weeks ago a Laramie man was mauled by a grizzly while out for a morning walk, and just this past weekend a black bear had to be killed after becoming very aggressive. Grand Teton National Park had to adapt from being a park that has a few grizzlies in remote areas, to a park where you can see a grizzly just about anywhere in the park's boundaries. The Senior Biologist for Grand Teton National Park, Steve Cain says, 'We're trying to establish the learning curve that this is now a grizzly park with both tourists and the locals, you need to take precautions.'" 6/26/07 Grizzly bear could end up in zoo "A zoo may be the eventual home for a 2½-year-old grizzly bear captured after he visited some houses in the Swan Lake area. The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks captured the bear Friday, in a snare on private land. Officials said the bear would be held at the state-run wildlife shelter in Helena while the nonprofit Fish, Wildlife and Parks Foundation, which assists the department, tries to arrange a permanent home at a Colorado zoo." 6/24/07 Letter: Government should be protecting wildlife "Recent articles have reported that some federal officials are praising the mitigation package, saying, 'Grizzly bears and bull trout will be better protected with the mine in place than with the wilderness left wild.' An industrial mine site is better for wildlife than the actual wild? Maybe these unnamed federal officials haven't actually seen what Revett is planning to do or the country they are planning to do it in. While funding is critical to the recovery of bull trout and grizzlies, we the public shouldn't be forced to barter our wildlands to get it. The message from the wildlife agency appears to be 'permit the mine or there will be minimal effort in the future to protect these species.' Our public officials owe us better." 6/24/07 A little face time with a grizzly "Moving inside the fence, Sowka, manager of the Montana Wildlife Center, turned the corner and came face to face with a 300 pound grizzly. Only 2 years old, the bear with grizzled fur and a head the size of a wheelbarrow wasn’t fully grown, though it was large and fast enough to command respect — never mind it was locked behind a towering chain-link fence. Earlier in the week, state bear managers trapped a 7 foot, 6 inch grizzly bear. It tipped the scale at 750 pounds, its neck circumference measuring 4 feet. Twice as big as this bear, I think to myself — and still out there. " 6/24/07 Mischievous grizzly bear being sought "A young grizzly bear captured and moved away from the Swan Lake area two weeks ago has sealed its fate by returning to dig through garbage cans and in one case, pushing its way into a garage." 6/4/07 Feds sued over removal of grizzlies from threatened list "Environmental groups on Monday sued the federal government in a bid to restore endangered-species protections for Yellowstone-area grizzly bears. " 6/3/07 Mining firm's money allows state to hire grizzly expert "The state has hired a grizzly bear expert for the Cabinet-Yaak bear recovery area with money from Revett Minerals Inc., as part of an agreement to offset the effects of its controversial copper and silver mine proposal." 5/24/07 Nature Photographer Identified as Yellowstone Bear Attack Victim "A photographer and author from Bozeman, Montana, has been identified as the man hurt by a grizzly Wednesday in Yellowstone National Park. 57-year-old Jim Cole has published books on the lives of grizzly bears in Montana, Wyoming and Alaska. Cole told rangers he was attacked by a sow with a cub while taking photographs along Trout Creek in Hayden Valley. Despite severe injuries to his face, Cole managed to walk two or three miles to the Grand Loop Road, where he was discovered by visitors about 1:00 p.m. Wednesday." 4/3/07 Forest expands reach of food rules "Gallatin National Forest food-storage rules for areas frequented by grizzly bears now cover the entire 1.8-million-acre forest. " 3/29/07 Grizzly bear dies at Utica Zoo "Diana, the 38-year-old grizzly bear at the Utica Zoo, died Sunday of complications from cancer, zoo officials said today." 3/28/07 Illegal big game hunters suffer big time in B.C. "A pair of visiting hunters have been slapped with hefty fines for illegally hunting big game north of here last year. Kenneth Gerald Dolezsar of Utah will fork over $12,500 for hunting grizzly bear as a non-resident near Dease Lake May 13, 2006. He also owes the court a victim surcharge fine of $1,875. Robert Wayne Dolezsar of Summerland, B.C., will pay $2,500 for accompanying a non-resident hunter without a permit. The two brothers, who pleaded guilty in Terrace Provincial Court March 15, are prohibited from hunting in B.C. for at least three years. " 3/28/07 Wildlife group considers fate of grizzly payment program "With Yellowstone-area grizzlies poised to come off the endangered species list, a conservation group is deciding what to do about its program to pay ranchers for livestock killed by the bears. " 3/28/07 Smarter than the average bear .. by far "Now the soldier bear, who went on to enchant children and parents alike at Edinburgh Zoo for nearly 20 years, is set to be the subject of a new Polish documentary." "The bear repaid them by becoming an honorary soldier, carrying vital supplies of ammunition and food to his fellow troops during the Battle of Monte Cassino in 1944, a key victory which opened the road to Rome for the Allies. The 500lb bear padded back and forth with boxes full of live shells from the lorries to the gun emplacements, the same as any other loyal member of the 22nd Transport Company of the Artillery section of the Polish Army. And he passed heavy shells, artillery boxes and food sacks from truck to truck, undeterred by the deafening boom of explosions and gunfire." 3/27/07 New Bush Plan to Gut Endangered Species Act " The U.S. Interior Department is preparing a wide-ranging set of regulations which substantially weaken the federal Endangered Species Act, according to internal documents released today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) and the Center for Biological Diversity. 'These draft regulations slash the Endangered Species Act from head to toe,' said Kieran Suckling, policy director of the Center for Biological Diversity. 'They undermine every aspect of law - recovery, listing, preventing extinction, critical habitat, federal oversight and habitat conservation plans - all of it is gutted.' The draft regulations would: * Remove recovery of a species or population as a protection standard; * Allow projects to proceed that have been determined to threaten species with extinction; * Permit destruction of all restored habitat within critical habitat areas; * Prevent critical habitat areas from being used to protect against disturbance, pesticides, exotic species, and disease; * Severely limit the listing of new endangered species; and * Empower states to veto endangered species introductions as well as administer virtually all aspects of the Endangered Species Act within their borders. " 3/27/07 Fight likely over thinning plan near Bonners Ferry burn area "The U.S. Forest Service could face a battle from a conservation group over plans to thin parts of the Idaho Panhandle National Forests in the Myrtle Creek Valley..." "Roughly half the proposed logging would take place in inventoried roadless areas and grizzly bear habitat..." 3/23/07 Northern Divide grizzlies are long way from delisting "The grizzly bear population that inhabits lands in and around Glacier National Park and the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex is larger than the isolated Yellowstone population, and it is connected to grizzly bears in Canada. But state and federal wildlife officials agree that population is years from being considered for delisting." 3/22/07 Yellowstone Grizzly Bears Off The Endangered List "The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is removing the Yellowstone population of grizzly bears from its status as 'threatened' on the U.S. list of threatened and endangered species." 3/21/07 Bad News for Yellowstone's Grizzly Bears "Federal wildlife managers plan to lift protections for Yellowstone's iconic grizzly bear population, but conservation groups and scientists oppose the move, citing evidence that the bears cannot survive without Endangered Species Act safeguards. The announcement that Yellowstone grizzly bears will be removed from the list of endangered species has been expected since the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed delisting the bears in November 2005. Since then, the agency has been flooded with comments from the public stating that the move is premature. Yellowstone grizzly bears face a troubling future because of global warming. Yellowstone grizzlies depend on the seeds produced by the whitebark pine tree. Global warming is causing beetles to kill this key grizzly food source at alarming rates." 3/16/07 Whitehorse man fined $3,500 for illegal bear hunt "A Whitehorse man was fined $3,500 for his part in an illegal bear hunt that his Alberta co-hunter bragged about afterwards on the internet. David Odo was sentenced Thursday morning in Yukon's territorial court after admitting he had lied to authorities about the grizzly bear kill last May." 3/15/07 Cold climates a hotbed for species turnover, UBC researchers say "The polar bear and grizzly bear, for example, split apart 300,000 years ago, while South America's bush dog and maned wolf — another pair of sister species — diverged some eight million years ago." 3/12/07 National historic site created in NWT "The federal government has signed an agreement to protect 5,800 square kilometres in the Northwest Territories that environmentalists hope will be the first of a series of such announcements for the Western Arctic. The Sahoyue-Edacho National Historic Site will protect two large peninsulas of land jutting into the western side of Great Bear Lake. The land has historical links to the Dene community of Deline and is home to woodland caribou, grizzly bears, wolverines and peregrine falcons. " 3/9/07 Bears emerge in Yellowstone but not on the Front, yet "Grizzly bears are reportedly emerging in Yellowstone National Park, but the bears seemingly remain snug in their dens in this neck of the woods. Grizzly tracks were discovered in a few locations in the southern portion of the park as early as Feb. 28. An aerial sighting of a grizzly in the Indian Creek drainage was reported Tuesday." 3/8/07 "Grizzly bears have begun emerging from their dens in Yellowstone National Park, officials say, marking a trend that will continue into late April or May, when the last females with cubs shake off winter sleep." 3/7/07 Global warming and the grizzly bears "Charles Petit of The Times writes that Dr. Jesse Logan, a retired scientist with the U.S. Forest Service, is butting heads with the federal government, which is considering taking the grizzly bear off the endangered or threatened species list in the area in and around Yellowstone Park." "Logan and his many scientific colleagues believe the grizzly bears of the Yellowstone area would become endangered again and, perhaps, could not survive if the whitebark pines were eventually killed off by the invading beetles. Their thesis is the bears should remain on the endangered list to have a chance at survival if their source of food for the winter is indirectly destroyed by global warming." 3/7/07 "Canadian inventor Troy Hurtubise made News of the Weird in 1997 and 2001 as he struggled to create an impervious grizzly bear-fighting suit, to mixed success. Over the last two years, he has invested $15,000 to create what he calls the “first ballistic, full exoskeleton body suit of armor” to protect Canadian soldiers in combat. He told the Hamilton (Ontario) Spectator in January that he was ready to put the suit on and face high-powered rifle fire. In addition to the armor, the outfit contains a knife, a transponder, a recording device and emergency morphine." This is the complete entry. 3/6/07 Former Montana Grizzly bear 'Jughead' dies at Bronx Zoo "A male grizzly bear relocated from the Northern Rockies 12 years ago has died at the Bronx Zoo, where he was a popular attraction, zoo officials said. The 13-year-old bear named Jughead died last Friday after months of illness and undergoing surgery for an abdominal abscess. He is survived by his brother, Archie, and two female grizzlies, Betty and Veronica, also rescued in 1995, living at the zoo's Bear Overlook compound." 3/6/07 Mission Mountains have an impact "The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes have also assigned a portion of their wilderness as The McDonald Peak Grizzly Bear Conservation Zone. It is off limits to human use from July 15 until Oct. 1. This 12,000-acre seasonal closure allows the big bears to remain undisturbed in these higher elevations in order to gain weight prior to winter denning. During the summer, they feast on army cutworm moths that concentrate in large numbers on the talus slopes throughout the region, and on ladybugs found on the summit environs of McDonald Peak. The tribal wildlife wardens, as well as Forest Service backcountry rangers take enforcing the no-people use seriously. Their conscientious protection of this small area has allowed the grizzly population to remain stable. From 12 to 17 bears, including females with cubs, are observed each year." 3/5/07 Conservation easement resolves family estate issue, saves pristine ranch "A working cattle ranch with some of the best wildlife habitat on the Rocky Mountain Front has now been protected from future development by a Nature Conservancy conservation easement." 3/5/07 Logging on forest land starts despite lawsuit "The environmental groups support clearing trees from around residential areas, campgrounds and church camps, but they oppose the construction of any new roads and any logging along the 24 miles of county road that accesses the narrow canyon. They also say logging in an area proposed for Wild and Scenic River designation and in a canyon that slices into the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness Area, prime grizzly bear habitat, is wrong." 2/27/07 "Now Doug and his wife, Andrea Peacock, a journalist and author of 2003's 'Libby, Montana: Asbestos and the Deadly Silence of an American Corporation,' have written together a book about all things grizzly—'The Essential Grizzly: The Mingled Fates of Men and Bears.'" 2/22/07 There's no such thing as a picky grizzly bear "A new University of Alberta study, which tracked eating habits of grizzly bears living in the Alberta foothills, sheds some light on the animal's varied diet and their activity pattern." 2/2/07 Bill favors wolf, grizzly hunts "A Senate committee unanimously endorsed legislation Thursday that would allow the hunting of wolves and grizzly bears in Montana once the animals are removed from federal protections." 1/25/07 Beetle unleashes voracious appetite "Beetles smaller than a grain of rice continue to choke off and kill thousands of whitebark pine trees and other species in the Yellowstone ecosystem." |