CALGARY — More than 80 grizzly bears have died in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem this year, marking a third consecutive year of record modern-day mortality as conservation groups challenge the Trump administration's plans to loosen federal protections for the species.Preliminary figures from the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team show that 81 grizzlies had died as of October 21, with Wyoming wildlife officials identifying another death that had not yet been entered into the database, bringing the total to 82.The figure surpasses the 74 deaths recorded in 2025 and 72 in 2024, with several weeks remaining before most grizzlies enter their winter dens.According to WyoFile, approximately 65% of the documented deaths were human-caused, with livestock conflicts accounting for a significant portion of the total.Of the recorded deaths, 27 were linked to livestock conflicts, 12 were classified as accidental, 11 resulted from natural causes and six were attributed to illegal poaching. Another 15 deaths remained under investigation. The growing death toll has prompted several wildlife advocacy organizations, including Earthjustice, Wyoming Wildlife Advocates, Western Watersheds Project and the Sierra Club, to demand stronger federal protections..In a November 3 statement, the organizations warned that the increasing number of deaths could undermine decades of recovery efforts, particularly as the federal government considers giving states greater control over grizzly management."It is incredibly alarming that the administration is seeking new ways to harm or kill grizzly bears as the species faces three years of record mortality," said Jenny Harbine, managing attorney for Earthjustice's Northern Rockies Office.The rising death toll has prompted several wildlife advocacy organizations, including Earthjustice, Wyoming Wildlife Advocates, Western Watersheds Project and the Sierra Club, to call for stronger protections.The organizations criticized the Trump administration's proposed changes to a federal wildlife management regulation known as the 4(d) rule.The proposed revisions, introduced in July, would give states in the Northern Rockies greater authority over grizzly bear management while temporarily maintaining the species' threatened status under the Endangered Species Act.Conservation groups argue the changes could allow more bears to be killed and potentially pave the way for removing federal protections altogether."It is incredibly alarming that the administration is seeking new ways to harm or kill grizzly bears as the species faces three years of record mortality," said Jenny Harbine, managing attorney for Earthjustice's Northern Rockies Office. .Patrick Kelly, Montana director for Western Watersheds Project, pointed to livestock grazing as a significant contributor to the deaths, arguing that allowing cattle into grizzly habitat increases the likelihood of deadly encounters.Conservationists have also raised concerns about habitat fragmentation, food availability and the slow reproductive rate of grizzly bears, warning that sustained mortality could undermine decades of recovery efforts.However, state wildlife officials have pushed back against suggestions that the rising death toll necessarily indicates a declining grizzly population.Wyoming Game and Fish Department Large Carnivore Supervisor Dan Thompson told WyoFile that the population has continued to withstand the losses, with reproduction helping offset mortality."There's enough recruitment in the population going on that it compensates for this level of mortality," Thompson said.Thompson also noted that relatively few adult female bears had been killed by wildlife agencies within the ecosystem's central demographic monitoring area, an important consideration because breeding females play a significant role in population stability.Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team leader Matt Gould cautioned against drawing sweeping conclusions from a single year's mortality figures, explaining that causes of death can vary substantially between years..The Trump administration's efforts to transfer greater control over grizzly bear management to individual states could face a federal court challenge, with several conservation organizations already signalling their intention to fight the changes.In July, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed revisions to a regulation under Section 4(d) of the Endangered Species Act, which governs protections for threatened species.The changes would give wildlife agencies in states such as Wyoming, Montana and Idaho additional flexibility to manage grizzlies, particularly in situations involving conflicts with humans or livestock.The Department of the Interior has defended the proposal, arguing that expanded state authority would reduce regulatory complexity and allow wildlife officials to respond more effectively to growing grizzly populations and human-bear conflicts.Earthjustice said the administration also intends to pursue removing grizzlies from the threatened species list after finalizing the management rule. The organization warned that the proposed regulation could serve as a fallback if a separate attempt to remove federal protections is overturned in court.Several conservation groups have indicated they intend to pursue legal action to maintain federal protections, particularly given the increasing number of human-caused grizzly deaths across the Greater Yellowstone region.The potential dispute follows years of litigation over grizzly management. Previous federal efforts to remove protections from Yellowstone-area bears have been overturned in court following challenges from conservation organizations.The latest proposal underwent a public comment period that closed August 17, with the Fish and Wildlife Service yet to publish a final rule as of Tuesday. Until any changes are finalized, grizzly bears in the continental United States remain federally protected as a threatened species..Although 2026 has recorded the highest number of grizzly deaths in recent decades, it is not the deadliest year in Yellowstone's history. Biologist Frank Craighead documented 120 grizzly deaths in 1972, following the closure of garbage dumps that had served as food sources for bears.Grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone region have recovered substantially since receiving federal protections in 1975, although disagreements remain over whether that recovery is sufficient to justify transferring more management authority to individual states.For now, grizzlies remain listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, with the latest mortality figures intensifying debate over how to balance wildlife conservation, livestock protection and state management authority.
