Yellowstone Grizzly Deaths Surge as Humans Encroach on Habitat

Yellowstone National Park is facing a crisis as grizzly bear deaths within its federally protected Recovery Zone have reached alarming levels. According to the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team, at least 63 bears have been killed so far in 2025, up from 56 at the same point in 2024. This puts the park on pace to exceed last year's record of 74 grizzly deaths in a single year.

The data shows that the vast majority of these fatalities are directly linked to human interaction. In fact, 71% of the 63 grizzly deaths recorded this year involved collisions with vehicles or hunters mistaking the bears for black bears. This trend is closely tied to the park's booming visitor numbers, which are set to reach another record high after over 4.7 million tourists visited in 2024.

Grizzly bears were listed as an endangered species in 1975, making it a federal crime to kill one. However, the rising death toll indicates that more needs to be done to protect these majestic creatures. Yellowstone officials have stated that they go to great lengths to prevent bears from becoming conditioned to human food, but sometimes the bears outsmart their defenses. In one particularly troubling case, a 400-pound, 11-year-old male bear had to be euthanized after repeatedly breaking into trash bins and overturning dumpsters in search of human food.

As the grizzly population in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem stands at around 700, the continued loss of these bears is a concerning trend that requires immediate action to address the human-wildlife conflict and ensure the long-term survival of this iconic species.