Description
The Yellowstone grizzly population has grown from an estimated 136 bears when first granted federal protection as a threatened species to as many as 1,000 grizzlies in a tri-state region as of late. No longer limited to remote wilderness areas, grizzlies now roam during the region―in state parks, school playgrounds, residential subdivisions, on farms and ranches, and in towns and cities during the region.
Return of the Grizzly tells the story of the successful effort to recuperate this huge carnivore, the policy changes and disputes between bear managers and bear advocates, and for the first time, provides insight to what recovery means for the individuals who now live with grizzlies across a broad landscape. From cowboys on horseback chased by a charging grizzly, and grizzlies claiming game animals downed by human hunters, to the a large number of self-defense killing of grizzlies that occur every year, the manuscript examines increases in conflicts and human fatalities due to grizzlies on this ecosystem inhabited by humans who live there year-round. Human–bear interactions, grizzly attacks and deaths, avoiding attacks, effects on agriculture, flora and fauna protesters, the consequences of bear habituation, and more are all covered.