Grizzly Bear Deaths in Yellowstone Region Climb to Modern Record High for Third-Straight Year
Wildlife managers said the population remains stable as 65% of the deaths were human-caused and livestock depredation, accidental and natural deaths ran above average.
- At least 81 grizzly bears died in the Yellowstone National Park region in 2026, marking the third consecutive year of record-high mortality, according to preliminary data released Tuesday by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team.
- Human activity accounts for about 65% of the 81 deaths logged so far, a dynamic the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team describes as the norm for bear-human interactions in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
- Wyoming Game and Fish Department Large Carnivore Supervisor Dan Thompson stated the population has absorbed the deaths without declining, yet conservationists argue record-high counts warrant increased protections rather than management shifts.
- Tri-State managers in Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho are pursuing a third attempt to delist grizzlies from threatened status under the Endangered Species Act, seeking expanded state management authority.
- Adam Rissien, rewilding manager with WildEarth Guardians, said bears face increased conflict searching for food amid severe heat, drought, and declining whitebark pine nuts that historically sustained them.
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The spokesman-Review
kiowacountypress.netGreater Yellowstone grizzly bear deaths spike past previous record
In Yellowstone National Park and areas just outside the park, a record number of at least 81 grizzly bears have died in 2026, mostly at the hands of humans.
The Billings Gazette
Grizzly bear deaths in GYE climb to modern record high for third straight year
Grizzlies killed for harming livestock and bears that died from accidental causes like vehicle strikes contributed to the record. Illegal killings and natural deaths spiked as well.
Greater Yellowstone grizzly bear deaths spike past previous record - The Daily Chronicle
In Yellowstone National Park and areas just outside the park, a record number of at least 81 grizzly bears have died in 2026, mostly at the hands of humans. That’s according to preliminary data, through Nov. 10, released by the U.S. Geological Survey and a group of researchers that focus on the species across the Rocky Mountain region. The database, documented by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team, lists 84 grizzly mortalities this year, …
Grizzly deaths in Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem hit record for third year
With weeks left to go before many grizzly bears den up, it's already the bruins' deadliest year in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem in modern times, surpassing records set in 2024 and 2025.
Idaho Press
Post RegisterGrizzly bear deaths in Yellowstone region climb to modern record high for third-straight year
With weeks left to go before many grizzly bears den up, it’s already the bruins’ deadliest year in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem in modern times, surpassing records set in 2024 and 2025.
More Than 80 Grizzlies Dead In Greater Yellowstone As Calls To Protect Them Grow
More than 80 grizzly bears have died in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem this year, prompting conservation organizations to call for continued federal protections as the current administration pursues changes that could leave more bears vulnerable to being killed. In a November 3 joint statement, conservation groups reported that at least 50 of those deaths were […]
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