New research shows that the decline of salmon
populations in the Northwest has drastically altered the diet of
the region’s grizzly bears. Historically, say Charles Robbins of
Washington State University and other researchers, salmon accounted
for an average of two-thirds of a grizzly’s diet, and, at times, as
much as 90 percent. The biologists examined grizzly carcasses
collected between 1880 and 1931, from across North America and
Europe, and by analyzing slivers of bone and tufts of hair,
documented the bear’s historic diet. Their findings have led some
to question the possibility of successful grizzly recovery in
places where salmon have disappeared, such as the Selway-Bitterroot
Wilderness of Idaho and Montana. But David Mattson, a research
wildlife biologist for the U.S. Geological Survey who has studied
grizzlies in Yellowstone for 20 years, believes the findings aren’t
grim news for bears. “Lots of grizzly bear populations survive
without salmon,” Mattson says, “(and) even without (salmon), there
is a lot of potential for bear in Idaho.” For more information on
Robbins’ research, contact him at ctrobbins@wsu.edu, 509/335-1119,
or write to the Department of Natural Resource Sciences, Washington
State University, Pullman, WA 99164-4236.
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Juniper Davis
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Are salmon bear essentials?.
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