California Grizzlies, disappeared for 100 years, if brought back

The grizzly bears are extinct in California, but they still appear anywhere you look.

The golden brown national flag and sealed cover, with a cartoon-like statue life as a mascot, and rolls the tongues off our tongues, rolling the grizzly flats and Big Bear Lake and other tongues.

But what if the real Ursine deal can be brought back?

They may be — about 1,180 — with Southern California Mountain being one of the main potential habitats for apex predators, a new study suggests. Do they should It’s a problem for 40 million Californians and their decision makers.

The state’s official animals inspired awe and had tribal cultural significance, and researchers noted that they pose low statistical dangers. But some wildlife officials say the reintroduction of grizzlies (which can weigh up to 1,000 pounds and explode at 35 mph) will lead to increased conflict between humans and bears. An estimated 60,000 black bears roaming the state, property damage, break-ins and the first confirmed death toll related to brown bears have made headlines in recent years.

“Restoring grizzlies in California is an option,” said Alex McInturff, co-editor of the study and co-editor of the Washington Collaborative Fish and Wildlife Research Division of the U.S. Geological Survey. “We have the option to do this by making the necessary investments and building the necessary partners. Habitat is available. Many questions can be answered. But it is an option.”

Before the 1848 Gold Rush, California was home to as many as 10,000 bears, but their fate quickly turned.

The loss of habitat of human fuel dispelled their numbers, but their ultimate demise was at the hands of hunters and hunters.

In 1916, the last known grizzly was shot in the Sunland area of ​​Los Angeles, aptly known as Sunland Grizzly.

A few years later, in the spring of 1924, the last grizzly bear in California was found in Sequoia National Park.

Although they are unlikely to return to their own country,”[a] Well-planned, well-resourced and well-managed reintroduction and recovery plans could build a sustainable California Grizzly population in one or more recovery areas over decades,” the study released Tuesday.

Behind the study is the Grey Alliance Network, a group of collaborators including researchers, tribal leaders and wildlife advocates aimed at bringing bears back to the state.

The report covers just over 200 pages, bringing together novel and existing research to explore where the country’s bears can live and how much they can live in these areas, as well as economic impacts, security considerations and other aspects. Reintroduction of bears will require moving them from where they currently live, such as Yellowstone National Park, to California.

Using several habitat suitability models, the study identified three potential areas where bears can live: the lateral range from coastal to desert in Southern California (focusing on large reserves in Los Padres National Forest); the Sierra Nevada (focusing on the southern part of the range); and the Northwest forest (including the Klamas, the Trinity Alps and other nearby ranges).

The study reports that these areas contain a large number of protected high-quality habitats, but do not claim to actual use of any or all.

Assuming that bears cannot live outside of designated areas, the study estimates that California can accommodate about 1,183 grizzly bears: 115 transverse range, 115 transverse range, and 236 in the Nevada Sierra Mountains 832, and 236 in the northwest forest.

In the early morning, two young grizzly brothers and sisters messed up on the Pelican Creek in Yellowstone National Park.

(Jonathan Newton/Getty Image)

Researchers set a “good resource” recovery plan for the first decade, up to $3 million a year. According to the study, according to the 2024-25 figures, it represents 0.4% of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife budget.

Grizzlies often cause fear – as an 8-foot-tall animal with huge paws – human safety is often the most important issue when discussing grizzlies’ recovery. But the study shows that the statistical risk posed by animals to humans is “very small”. The study reported that in the United States, 96% of the estimated average death toll caused by wildlife each year collided with deer.

Nevertheless, the risk is not zero. In North America, about 1.5 people die each year, the researchers say.

A separate Research on brown bears in 2019 (A group that includes the Grizzlies) Attack on humans Between 2000 and 2015, most of the global scope was found to have increased significantly over time.

The researchers say this increase may be due to several factors, including the growth of bears and population, resulting in an increase in overlap in habitats. They also point out that more and more people are recreating in bear life.

Grizzlies also bring benefits, including dispersing seeds and inflating soil. In a number large enough, they can retain other species, such as black bears.

Peter Tira, a spokesman for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, said the state lacks resources to prioritize reintroduction of grizzlies, given all its existing responsibilities.

He said California no longer offers a large number of salmon stores, and it is believed that once offered opportunities for bear farming or roaming the now-developed coast. Given their tendency toward a wide range, he said there is no reason to think they would stay in faraway areas.

“Reintroduction of grizzly bears may lead to places where people live, recreate and raise livestock, and further management of human wildlife conflicts may be required, which is already very challenging for animal species here, especially mountain lions, wolf, black bear, black bear and wolf a.”

Bruce McLellan, a retired grizzly research ecologist and author of “The Art of Grizzly Science and Wild Life,” admitted that he initially thought the idea of ​​reintroducing grizzly bears in California was crazy — partly due to the huge number of people living in the state. But most of the population was stuck in the lower half of the state, he realized after a closer inspection.

In British Columbia, where McLellan lives, the southern part of the province is home to most of its 5 million people – the region now supports hundreds of grizzly bears as the population rebounds over time. He said people have adapted to their presence to a large extent.

“It makes me think it’s certainly biologically possible to have grizzlies in those remote corners of California,” he said.

Of course, he said, it would bring conflict—a strange bear would linger from the hills and snatch someone’s chicken. A strange bear must be shot – but there are effective ways to deal with conflicts. He said people need to “aware” and potentially install electric fences.

He said the grizzlies were also “very adaptable” and noted that they do not need salmon or unrestricted beaches to survive.

“A lot of people I live in love to see grizzlies in the yard,” McClellan said. “I love it.”

Yet even if the Californian decides to want a bear, he believes the United States lacks enough process to achieve this.

McLellan is involved in efforts to restore North Cascade County, Washington and Selville Bitterot wilderness areas in Montana and Idaho. He said spending money and energy has not made them realize over decades.

“We both got involved in both of them,” he said.

Peter Alagona, a professor of environmental studies at UC Santa Barbara, led the study and he believes the California Grizzlies’ comeback is a way to eliminate the idea.

“I think it will light a fire under people’s rule to show that we can do something we don’t think we can do,” said Alagona, who founded the California Grey Research Network in 2016.

Alagona also said it would be a form of restoring justice.

In the foreword to the study, Tejon Indian Tribe Chairman Octavio Escobedo III highlighted what he described as a “parallel road” by Native Americans and grizzlies, suffering from state-sanctioned ideologies that were “ruthless persecution driven by ruthless Indigenous peoples and grizzlies.”

He wrote that the Tejun tribe is one of hundreds of indigenous countries that value and respect grizzly bears and is a major effort to maintain and coexist the species.

Federal employee McInturff, who is also an associate professor at the University of Washington, said the new study marks a compilation of the best sciences in the discussion, which marks a turning point in the discussion.

“There are a lot of speculation, a lot of assumptions, and now we actually have a series of studies that can look at talking about this topic in an informed way,” he said.

At some point, Alagona intends to present the results of the study to the California Fish and Games Commission, which has developed wildlife policies for the state.

Last year, the committee and the state Senate passed a resolution to recognize the Centennial Anniversary of the California Grizzlies, which declared 2024 the Year of the Grizzlies.

This month marks the 101st anniversary.