Once again, the future of Yellowstone’s grizzly bears is under threat after Federal attorneys filed an appeal to overturn part of last year’s ruling, which reinstated the species’ protection under the Endangered Species Act.
The appeal, filed with the 9th U.S. Circuit of Appeals, questions some aspects of the judge’s decision last September and argues that the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) “should not have to conduct a comprehensive review of the entire listed species,” and that “the district court’s order goes beyond the appropriate remedy.”
The Act has protected grizzlies since 1975 after numbers dropped to 136 individuals. There are now an estimated 1,700-1,800 bears left in the lower 48 states, and around 700 of these live in and around the Yellowstone National Park.
In August 2017, the USFWS removed protections for this population, meaning the management of these animals would be handed over to Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, and trophy hunters would be allowed to murder 23 bears around Yellowstone.
A number of organizations went to court to ask for this decision to be reversed. Thankfully, they were successful, and before hunters had a chance to slaughter any more of these majestic animals, the protections were restored.
According to the Western Environmental Law Center, grizzlies in Yellowstone are still at risk, despite claims by the USFWS that populations are fully recovered. The Center cites “dwindling food sources, climate change, small population size, isolation, habitat loss and fragmentation, and high levels of human-caused mortality” as critical issues facing these beautiful bears.
The USFWS says that grizzlies no longer require this kind of intensive protection and claims that increasing human-animal conflict needs to be managed by controlling bear populations through hunting.
But bear supporters will not give up easily.
“[This latest appeal is a] waste of more time and money trying to defend the illegal decision to pull Yellowstone’s grizzly bears off the endangered species list,” said Andrea Santasiere, attorney for the Center for Biological Diversity. “These bears still need federal protection and we’ll fight to defend the lower court’s decision.”
I am not sure why it does not seem important to protect our wild animals. Grizzlies should be protected and left to live happy and safe lives.
The brutes are at it again. Please share this and have them squashed.
TROPHY HUNTERS SHOULD BE ELIMINATED
Yet again America is trying to assume they have the rights for This! Why are you such barbaric, sick people that insist on murdering our wildlife, who exactly do do you think you are? Leave OUR wildlife alone.
Disgusting
Vigilante violence would be more than appropriate here. Our court systems do NOT give a sh*t & should be disregarded – PLEASE, anyone who knows this scumbag POS make him feel real pain. Judges are to busy being pathetic excuses of a corrupt system that does NOT defend the innocent & licking the criminal’s ass, too afraid to upset the crooks. Hopefully it happens to their immediate family so they can learn to feel what these poor innocent creatures did.
If they overturn this they need to be placed out in woods to hunted them selfs ! Why do we put up with these people in seat that have no more concern of life of any kind unless it’s profitable to them ? Animals life’s are just as precious and should be valued as mankind’s!
Animals need to be safe and protected.
Why do these tyrants have to abuse the most vulnerable, children & domesticated animals? Because they r insecure cowards. Unfortunately they probably won’t get caught. Usually what goes around come around. God help us!!!
Come on guys find something else to do with yourself instead of taking a gun to an animal ,il.com
Since the Trump ADMIN. assumed office the ESA, EPA, NOAA and BLM have rolled back protections and practices that safeguarded people,wildlife and environments. Bears are just one species that have been denied continued protection. Protection and preservation of living beings requires conscientious administration at every level.
Save these majestic creatures from trophy hunters
We must not allow these beautiful creatures to be killed like this
Human-animal interactions need to be managed by controlling bear population. Why not control the human population. We are responsible for shrinking their habitat. We are intruding on their territory. Then we blame the bears for causing problems.
Why would anyone want to slaughter a beautiful. living creature?
Trophy hunters are nothing but trash and it seem that the US government is no better.
Ban all hunting! Animals should be protected. Poor bears.
THIS WORLD IS OVER POPULATED BY MORTALS.
STOP BLAMING WILDLIFE WHEN MORTALS HAVE OVERSTEPPED INTO THE BEARS TERRITORY
THE GALARNEAU FAMILY
Please stop all animal cruelty.
Please protect all animals from cruelty at all times!
Save the bears ! Ban hunting !
greedy President equals greedy government, there should NOT be trophy hunters since the world is in crisis and animals are going extinct
It’s simple. Protect the grizzlies and all of america’s wildlife, endangered or not. Trophy hunters are nothing but rich people with egos that want to brag about murdering a beautiful animal. It is not hunting, it is murder to sit behind a high powered rifle hiding like a coward. These animals deserve to live and not be mounted on some idiots wall.
Rot in hell “trophy” hunters!
Quit supporting those idle trophy hunters from killing our grizzly bears to support their self esteem. Shame on those who support trophy hunters.
Idaho, Montana and Wyoming – is anyone surprised?
Idaho, Montana and Wyoming – b-e-a-utiful country!
Home of God, guns, and guts. AND canned hunts.
Idaho, Montana and Wyoming – if you can’t appreciate what you have – MOVE!
A law has been in place since 1975 to protect these bears and now so many ignorant bastards want to have that protection lifted from them to allow trophy hunters. Why are humans such bastards when it comes to just “killing off” the animals of this planet. Leave the god damn protection bill in place and continue to allow these animals to live in peace. I just received an email from a friend on holidays in Yellowstone and she commented on seeing a mother grizzly bear with her 2 cubs and how incredibly cute, wonderful and happy they all appeared. Why can people not just leave this alone – have you not already destroyed most of the god damn world. The governments are all calling out about Climate Change – well you know what we are causing the demise of our animals of this world because we keep taking their land from them and if that is not enough then we want to start allowing the slaughter of them for trophy hunters. Come on people wake up this is again just about MONEY – always is and always will be – unless the politicians are strong enough and can advocate on behalf of these animals then of course the people with the money always win out – don’t they????????????
When I think of how much time, effort, and funds have been invested in bringing so many animals back from the brink, only to have hunters with “little man syndrome” want to slaughter them again, it makes me want to scream.
I think I’d faint if one rich someone would take the cash that it cost to slaughter an animal, and put it toward helping them live in the habitats we’re destroying.
Too bad the world didn’t take Zero Population Growth seriously back when it was proposed in the late 60’s.
They knew back then our Earth couldn’t sustain the growing human population. And THEY were spot-on.
bad US Gov’t. All countries must work together to protect all wilderness & wildlife
We need to save our bears their lives are important
It goes deeper than that because I don’t believe in a Creator God..We are all made out of stardust and all related to whatever is alive on this planet and we are destroying it through our stupid beliefs and carelessness.Human animals are by far the most dangerous and destructive animals on this planet and we are light years away from being civilized and by the time we might become the slightest, we will have disappeared as a species, having obliterated mindlessly everything to our very short passage on this poor planet that will soon look like the Moon.
Couldn’t have said it better!
“Trophy Hunting is a SICKNESS., a Pervasion & a Danger & should be Recognised as such. People who get their amusement from Hunting & Killing defenseless Animals can only be suffering from a Mental Disorder. In a world with boundless opportunities for amusement, it’s detestable that anyone would choose to get thrills from killing others who ask for nothing from life but the chance to remain alive- Sir Roger Moore- (7 times James Bond)
Once when these majestic animals are all wiped out of these locations there won’t be anything interesting to see or go exploring. STUPID PEOPLES DESTRUCTION OF THE GOD’S CREATIONS ARE A PURE “CURSE” Such people are cancerous to any society.
Leave the bears alone. Need a sport? Try golf. Thayer a real sport.
I don’t know if ethics ever existed!
Stuff like this is why I decided to give up my dream of being a biologist…politicians don’t care unless there’s money in it. The attorneys love it because it’s a stable income. All of the reasons why bears should NOT be hunted are valid. 1000 bears is hardly a number to brag about. One tough winter, a serious disease, and lack of food can decimate a thousand bears to maybe a couple hundred. The groups that try to take animals off protection are simply trying to make money. Poaching still occurs as well. Oh well. Not my problem. Money wins these battles in court…maybe a judge sided this time…it won’t end…there will be more cases in the court eventually simply sapping money from real conservation work. Court is just a joke…people these days have to fight in the court room for common sense…nothing is free.
Please keep grizzly bears protected no matter what because it is unacceptable to kill them since they are top predators along with their friends the wolves we need top predators all over North America and any other continent no matter what because they are important keeping ecosystems and balance otherwise they will to go out of balance and you continue to kill them punish the Trophy Hunters by sending them to court and getting them arrested.
Get rid of the bastard who usurped the Presidency in an enormous coup fomented by a foreign entity..
Animals that are threatened should be protected. What are these people thinking of?
All animals should be protected..In the enormous ecologic chain, all links are vital elements to the survival of this planet with one major exception: The human animal is the most destructive, dangerous and suicidal animal on this planet.We are light years away from being civilized and by the time we might become the slightest, we will have disappeared as a species, having obliterated everything to our short passage on this planet and there no Deus ex Machina that will come and save us,
Natural places, and their inhabitants, are under constant threat. I cannot believe that bureaucrats could possibly imagine that Grizzlies no longer require protection….these magnificent creatures need powerful friends to ensure that they retain all measures that will allow them to not only survive, but thrive.
Stop trophy hunting!!!
Stop trophy hunting!!
All trophy hunting should stop!!!
Here we go again.. The government can’t stand the fact that grizzlies are roaming free and not being killed. Who’s pressuring you USFWS? Is it the trophy hunting lobbyists? I swear, you never had a backbone.
For an animal that is not found anywhere else in the World, why is this being talked about I ask you? Every bear should be protected in every sense of the word. Beyond imagination really!
I AM SICK AND TIRED OF TROPHY HUNTERS WHO THINK THAT BECAUSE THEY HAVE A LOT OF MONEY THEY CAN DO ANYTHING THEY WANT. iF i BECOME RICH, CAN i KILL SOMEONE AND BE IMMUNE FROM THE LAW?
Actually yes…the president is immune and yes, there are disgusting people out there who are actually paid to cover up and hide crimes of other people for the right price. Ethics no longer exist in some people if the money’s right.
The Greatest of a Nation & It’s Moral Progress Can Be Judged by the way it’s Animals Treated. Where has Humanity Gone?? Animals Share The Privilege of Having A Soul Just like Us. Stop the unnecessary killing… Soon there will be No Animals to kill 🙏🙏🙏🙏
We must protect all animals before all are gone, forever!!
Its actually too late for many species…and it’s getting worse. People have destroyed way too much…the rate of that happening is far faster than 10 or even 20 years ago.
The truth of what is happening is often under rated…money wins every time…development has caused most of the damage…and it continues at an alarming rate. Everyone wanted beach front property…that cost many species to simply go extinct…it continues. Nevermind the habitat we destroy as people is the same habitat we need for our own HEALTHY survival. Most of the U.S. water sources are already contaminated…with the right money paid to the right person water contamination can simply be altered w a pencil eraser or the click of a button on a computer. (Flint Michigan was no accident and was tried to be covered up.)