Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
We're working to fix a technical issue causing problems with our broadcasts. We'll have it resolved as soon as possible. We apologize for the inconvenience.
Montana news about the environment, natural resources, wildlife, climate change and more.

Glacier-area grizzly bear mortalities increase in 2021

Closeup of a grizzly bear
iStock
Grizzly bear

There have been 43 grizzly bear mortalities in and around Glacier Park this year, an increase from 2020. Eighteen of those bears were females and 25 were males.

That's according to Bill Avey, who chairs the region’s subcommittee of the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee. Avey says this year’s mortalities are within acceptable thresholds for bears in the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem.

Mortalities include deaths and other removals from the ecosystem.

At a meeting of the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee Tuesday, Avey said the biggest causes of grizzly mortality in the region this year were automobile strikes and agency removals for livestock depredation, with much of the conflict occurring on the fringes of the ecosystem.

This year's mortality count is up from last year's total of 35. Grizzly bear deaths in theNCDE hit record highs in 2018 and 2019 when more than 50 mortalities occurred each year. There are an estimated 1,100 grizzlies living in the NCDE.

Monday, the state of Montana petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife serviceto remove threatened species protections for bears in the area.

Josh Burnham is MTPR's digital editor. He works on the news team and as a content strategist managing the station's website, podcasts, email newsletters and social media.
Become a sustaining member for as low as $5/month
Make an annual or one-time donation to support MTPR
Pay an existing pledge or update your payment information
Related Content