An outrageous new plan would allow grizzly bear trophy hunting in Wyoming. Add your voice now to help protect these iconic bears.
A 500-pound grizzly bear lumbering its way through Yellowstone National Park may appear indomitable. But this remarkable species was on the verge of extinction in the lower-48 states not so long ago.
Grizzlies in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem have made a resurgence, thanks to the Endangered Species Act. But their population — estimated at between 600 and 1,000 — is still far too small and isolated to guarantee their long-term survival.
Yet, last year, these bears lost their vital endangered species protections, in a flawed move by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Now, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department is moving forward with a senseless proposal to allow grizzly bear trophy hunting (and in some cases baiting and killing) in areas near Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks — exacerbating dangers like climate change and conflicts with humans that already threaten grizzlies, and ignoring impending legal action from conservation organizations that could reinstate critical protections for grizzlies under the Endangered Species Act.
Yellowstone-area grizzlies have been isolated from other grizzly bear populations for decades. Scientists estimate that the population would need to grow to nearly 2,000 bears to ensure the long-term survival of these majestic creatures. Wyoming should be helping these bears further recover, not killing them at the first opportunity.
Make no mistake: the region’s grizzlies still face an uncertain future. They’re confronting new threats from shrinking habitat, isolation, disappearing food sources, increasing conflicts with people and livestock, and the growing dangers posed by climate change.
NRDC strongly disagreed with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decision to delist grizzlies from the Endangered Species Act. And we’ll do whatever is necessary to fight back against the Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s unwarranted hunting plan.
Help us protect Yellowstone’s grizzlies as they continue their fight to recover. Can we count on you to take a stand for grizzlies today?
