During the nineteenth century the American bears they seriously risked extinction, but after two hundred years hunting is once again a very topical topic of debate with regards to these animals, particularly if you look at the Yellowstone National Parkprobably the most famous in the country. It seems that the time has come to review the restrictions imposed to protect grizzlies fromEndangered Species Act (ESA), the US law that protects certain endangered species. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has made a proposal in the last few hours that could eliminate these protections against bears in some areas of Montana, Idaho and Wyoming, now in existence for four decades.
Protection has remained partial all this time as the overall population has shrunk by around two percentage points. However, it would not be the first animal species removed from the ESA list, given that the gray wolf, the brown pelican and the flying squirrel are no longer part of it and now the bear could be added: the law, passed in 1972, also makes also referring to eagles, Californian condors, manatees and cranes.
The protections of the Stars and Stripes Act became effective during 1975, year in which the total population of Yellowstone went from 136 to a number between 700 and 1000 animals. We must not forget that bear culls are considered legal in case of special circumstances and in 2015 alone there was a record from this point of view, with 59 kills following responses to attacks in the woods. Then there is the State ofAlaska which allows bear hunting, therefore its internal regulation could inspire that of the other states we are talking about.
The reactions were obviously not lacking, in particular the environmentalists strongly opposed, recalling how these animals are constantly at risk. There National Wildlife Federation instead he hoped that the grizzlies could survive and live in complete tranquility. There is also the thought of the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, an organization that deals with the protection of land, water and wildlife, according to which it would be appropriate to ensure the transition of bear management from the legislative management of ESA to the individual management entrusted to each state. The parties involved should cooperate and find a solution that is suitable for all, the goal to be achieved is an effective and shared plan over the next five years, the time period that is considered the most reasonable.