Annual Grizzly Bear Research Resumes This Month

Biologists with the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team (IGBST) will be conducting annual scientific grizzly bear research operations in Yellowstone National Park from May 24 to July 7, to monitor the activities and population of grizzly bears within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

The gathering of critical data on the protected bears is part of a long-term research effort required under the Endangered Species Act to help wildlife managers devise and implement programs to support the ongoing recovery of Yellowstone’s grizzly bear population. This is the 38th year of the study.

Over the coming weeks, team members will bait and trap bears at several remote sites within Yellowstone National Park. Once trapped, the bears are anesthetized to allow wildlife biologists to radio-collar and collect scientific samples for study. All trapping and handling are done in accordance with IGBST’s long established protocols.

None of the trap sites in the park will be located near any established hiking trails or backcountry campsites, and all trap sites will have posted warnings for the closure perimeter. Potential access points will also be posted with warning signs for the closure area. Backcountry users who come upon any of these posted areas need to heed the warnings and stay out of the area.

The Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team was formed in 1973 in response to population impacts of the National Park Service’s decision to close open pit garbage dumps and transition to natural ecosystem management of wildlife.

The IGBST is composed of representatives of the U.S. Geological Survey, the National Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Forest Service, the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho Tribal Fish and Game Department, and the states of Idaho, Montana and Wyoming.

For more information regarding grizzly bear research efforts call (406) 994-6675.