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Hunters soon could be chasing grizzly bears across the ridges of the Rocky Mountains, leaving three states to come up with plans to ensure the iconic species won't be snuffed out so soon after recovering from threats to their survival.
The Obama administration in March proposed lifting protections for the more than 700 grizzlies around Yellowstone National Park. The bears have been considered a threatened species since 1975, but wildlife officials say their population has sufficiently recovered to turn over management to Wyoming, Montana and Idaho.
Other grizzly populations in Montana, Idaho and Washington state will remain protected. The grizzlies' Alaska cousin, the brown bear, is not considered a threatened or endangered species and is hunted regularly.
Yay, more unchewably tough meat! On the other hand, as a top predator its recovery does endorse conservation efforts over the past half-century.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 13 2016, @06:28PM
Bears are not human. I don't have feelings for bears, one way or the other. I care about humans.
Fact: Bears are hazardous to humans. The benefit they provide is minimal compared to the harm. We might as well be talking about parasitic worms, HIV, smallpox, polio, etc. Bears just happen to be bigger.
I therefore am happy if they are removed from the wild by any means possible. Put them in zoos. Poison them with bait. Do whatever it takes. This isn't about proving how manly a person is. If you want to do that, buy a zoo and sleep in the bear cage. The rest of us, who might like to enjoy a safe and unstressful trip into the woods, shouldn't be forced to miss out due to man-eating monsters.
This idea that natural things must be preserved is nonsense. Yes, the ecosystem changes. In case you hadn't noticed, we have already dramatically and irreversibly changed it. We need to focus on what makes our environment best for us humans. Bears do not have a legitimate role in our world.