Poachers target
grizzlies
Bear researchers say the remote
Selkirk Mountains, between Washington, Idaho and British Columbia,
could support up to 90 grizzlies. Instead, the current population
of about 30 bears has dropped by one. In late November an unknown
person shot Sy, a 15-year-old female grizzly, who was the last bear
in the Selkirks wearing a functioning radio collar. Sy tolerated
researchers non-aggressively and taught several of her cubs this
unusual ability to coexist with people, says biologist Wayne
Wakkinen in Spokane’s Spokesman-Review. He says poachers almost
certainly caused eight of the last 12 grizzly deaths in the
Selkirks, and that the bear population would have a chance to
increase if people stopped killing bears. Officials in the
Washington Division of Wildlife say they have a “person of
interest” whom they suspect of shooting Sy, but lack enough
information to press charges. The National Audubon Society
(212/832-3200) offers $15,000 for information on grizzly poaching,
and the Inland Northwest Wildlife Council (509/467-4505) offers
$750. In Washington state, the toll-free poaching hotline is
800/477-6224; in Idaho call 800/632-5999.
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Poachers target grizzlies.
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