Greater Yellowstone Grizzly Bear Death Totals 24 So Far in 2023
Written by Jessi Entel on August 21, 2023
24 grizzly bears have died or have been discovered dead in the Greater Yellowstone area so far this year, with eight so far being killed for livestock depredation.
This number also includes a bear that drowned in an irrigation canal.
The latest grizzly bear death occurred earlier this month, when a 20-year old bear was killed by Montana wildlife agent because it kept preying on livestock. The total of bear euthanized due to livestock depredation is now eight, with six bears being killed in Wyoming.
The remaining grizzlies were either struck by vehicles, were put down because they became too conditioned to humans or human food sources or they starved to death.
One bear in the 2023 total was a grizzly that died in 2019 or 2020, but was found this year in Wyoming’s Grass Creek Range on land managed by the Bureau of Land Management.
Of the total grizzly bear deaths, five are still under investigation with the no causes of death listed by the United States Geological Survey.
The United States Geological Survey leads the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team, which includes the Wyoming Game and Fish. They monitor grizzlies throughout the Greater Yellowstone Area in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming.
For more information on the grizzly bear mortality statistic, visit the United State Geological Survey website.
