YELLOWSTONE — Pre-baiting and scientific capture operations to monitor the population of grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem will begin within Yellowstone National Park on June 1.
The study is required under the Endangered Species Act. Biologists with the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team (IGBST) will begin field captures on June 1 and continue through October 16.
According to a press release from Yellowstone National Park, the monitoring of grizzly bear distribution and other activities are vital to the ongoing recovery of grizzly bears in the Yellowstone Ecosystem.
Biologists use natural food sources such as fresh road-killed deer and elk to attract bears. Potential capture sites are baited. If there are indications of grizzly bear presence in the area, culvert traps or foot snares will be used to capture the bears. Once captured, bears are handled in accordance with strict safety and animal care protocols, says the IGBST.
Whenever bear capture activities are being conducted for scientific purposes, the area around the site will be posted with bright warning signs to inform the public of the activities occurring. These signs are posted along the major access points to the capture site.
Yellowstone National Park is urging the public to heed these signs and to not venture into an area that has been posted.
For more information regarding grizzly bear capture efforts, call the IGBST hotline at 406-994-6675. Information about the grizzly bear research and monitoring is available from the IGBST website.
