Our Goal: Restore Grizzly bears to their historic range with humans and bears coexisting together without conflict.
Grizzlies are massive, beautiful creatures, with males weighing as much as 750lbs
Grizzly front claws can be up to 4 inches long
There are only about 1200 left in the lower 48
Grizzly bears can eat up to 90lbs of food/day; 80-90% is fruit, nuts, and berries
Grizzly mamas can nurse a cub for up to 3 years
What WCS is doinG:
WCS has laid the foundation for the successful rewilding of grizzlies by initiating conflict resolution methods in key ranching communities that are the bottleneck or pinch point to grizzlies returning to the High Divide. WCS is leading a collaborative effort that brings together ranchers, agencies, NGOs, and local government to identify and prioritize solutions for successful co-existence. This work is critical if grizzly bears are to move through populated valley bottoms and connect to vital habitat in the Crown of the Continent.
THREATS:
Grizzly bears were nearly lost to human-wildlife conflicts. By 1975, only six populations remained and grizzly bears occupied just 2% of their historic habitat. Grizzly bears in the Northern Rockies have recovered from historic lows and are now reclaiming habitat not occupied for more than a century.
The greatest threats to grizzly bears continued rewilding are negative interactions with humans and connectivity. The species is extremely vulnerable to habitat fragmentation and the implications of the expanding human footprint, including livestock depredations, encounters with recreationists, access to human foods, and vehicle collision.
As grizzly bears recover and expand into increasingly human-dominated landscapes, conservation solutions mandate more than protecting and restoring ecological connectivity; we must also address social and political barriers to connectivity.
Be a Grizzly Ambassador:
Follow #BearSmartBigSky
Do your part, be bear smart when recreating or living in bear country
Support carcass management for ranchers to reduce interactions between livestock and carnivores
Grizzlies play an important role in the ecosystem by dispersing seeds and nutrients while also regulating prey and helping prevent overgrazing.