Biologists to Begin Capturing Grizzlies in Northwest Wyoming – So Know the Signs

As part of ongoing efforts to monitor the population of grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department will conduct capture operations in northwest Wyoming beginning this spring and continuing through early fall.

Established in 1973, the I.G.B.S.T. monitors and researches grizzly bears in their ecosystems as part of a collaborative effort made possible by a broad coalition of interdisciplinary scientists responsible for the long-term study of these animals. Formed by the Department of the Interior, these teams consist of members from the U.S. Geological Survey, the National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Forest Service, and other agencies.

Department biologists will conduct grizzly bear trapping operations in front and backcountry areas. All areas where captures are being conducted will have major access points marked with warning signs and area closure signs in the direct vicinity of capture sites. It is critical that all members of the public heed these signs.

Courtesy Wyoming Game and Fish

When captured, animals are marked, released on site, and monitored in accordance with guidelines developed jointly by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team.

The annual monitoring of this population is vital to the ongoing management and conservation of grizzly bears in Wyoming. Information obtained through these efforts is used to assess the status and health of grizzly bears in the ecosystem. In addition, it provides insight into population dynamics critical to demonstrate the continued recovery and conservation of the species in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

For more information regarding grizzly bear capture efforts, call the Wyoming Game and Fish Lander regional office at 307-332-2688.