Grizzly bears are dying at an alarming rate inside Yellowstone National Park – and humans are responsible for most of the carnage.
At least 63 bears have been killed so far this year, up from 56 at the same point in 2024, according to the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team, which tracks bear deaths in Yellowstone’s federally protected Recovery Zone.
Deaths within that zone, which spans parts of Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho, are now on pace to exceed last year’s record of 74 in a single year.
In 2001, 68 grizzlies died, US Geological Survey data showed.
The team’s data shows 85 percent of deaths are linked directly to human interaction, from collisions with cars to hunters mistaking grizzlies for black bears.
Of the 63 deaths this year, at least 45, or 71 percent, involved humans.
Grizzly fatalities have risen in tandem with Yellowstone’s booming visitor numbers. National Park Service figures indicate the park is set for another record number of visitors, after more than 4.7 million tourists visited in 2024.
Grizzlies were listed as an endangered species in 1975, making it a federal crime to kill one.
At least 63 grizzly bears have died in the greater Yellowstone Ecosystem so far this year
Tourist Samantha Dehring was charged with wildlife offences for coming too close to a female grizzly and her cubs in 2021.
Offenders can face fines of up to $100,000, loss of hunting licenses, and even jail.
Killing a bear is permitted in self-defense, but the incident must be reported to the US Fish and Wildlife Service within five days.
‘There may be a few more bears, but mortality numbers can vary from year to year,’ Chris Servheen, former coordinator for the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), told Outside, an outdoors-focused magazine.
‘The long-term numbers are what are important, so year-to-year increases indicate ongoing levels of mortality rather than an unusually bad year.
‘Most grizzly deaths are due to humans every year,’ he added.
Servheen warned that the real number of deaths is likely higher – especially ahead of rifle hunting season in the Rocky Mountains.
‘There are always unknown unreported mortalities in addition to the known and probable mortalities,’ Servheen said.
US Geological Survey records show 74 grizzlies died in 2024, compared with 68 in 2021 and 69 in 2018. About 700 bears now live in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, according to The Denver Post.
The data found that the bears’ deaths were largely due to humans
Killing a grizzly bear is illegal and carries hefty penalties
The beauty of Yellowstone National Park as a herd of bison trek through water this week
In one particularly troubling case earlier this year, rangers trapped and euthanized a 400-pound, 11-year-old male that had repeatedly broken into trash bins and overturned 800-pound dumpsters in search of human food.
‘We go to great lengths to protect bears and prevent them from becoming conditioned to human food,’ Yellowstone officials said in a statement.
‘But occasionally, a bear outsmarts us or overcomes our defenses. When that happens, we sometimes have to remove the bear from the population to protect visitors and property.’
The Daily Mail has contacted Yellowstone officials for further comment.
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