Rep. Ryan Zinke of Montana is calling for federal protections for grizzly bears to be removed after two separate bear-related incidents in U.S. national parks this month.
Zinke made the comments after two hikers were injured in Yellowstone National Park and another hiker was found dead in Glacier National Park with injuries officials said were consistent with a bear encounter.
Zinke Says Grizzlies Should Be Delisted
Zinke said grizzly bears should be removed from federal protection, and management authority should be returned to states.
“Last week, two grizzly bear attacks claimed the life of a hiker in Glacier National Park and seriously injured two others in Yellowstone National Park,” Zinke wrote on X. “These tragedies are a sobering reminder that grizzly bear populations have recovered well beyond sustainable levels, and it is past time for the federal government to delist them and give states the management tools they need to protect both people and wildlife. Delist the grizzly.”
Grizzly bears are currently listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. That status brings federal protections, including limits on harming or killing the animals, critical habitat protections, recovery planning requirements, and federal oversight of projects that could affect the species or its habitat.
Two Hikers Injured in Yellowstone
The Yellowstone incident happened on May 4 on the Mystic Falls Trail near Old Faithful.
The National Park Service said two hikers were injured by “one or more bears.” Emergency services personnel responded, and the incident remains under investigation.
Yellowstone National Park is home to both grizzly bears and black bears.
Hiker Found Dead in Glacier
A separate incident in Glacier National Park involved 33-year-old Anthony Pollio of Davie, Florida.
Pollio was reported missing after last being heard from on May 3 while hiking in the park. His body was discovered on May 6, about 50 feet off the Mount Brown Trail.
Officials said his injuries were consistent with a bear encounter.
Glacier National Park is widely known for its grizzly bear population, and black bears are also present in the area.
Bear Attacks Are Rare, But Risk Remains
Bear attacks in the United States are rare, and are often tied to specific risk factors, including bears being startled or becoming accustomed to human food.
Common safety recommendations in bear country include proper food storage, keeping dogs leashed, and carrying bear spray.
Data cited from BearVault, a company that makes bear-resistant food containers, says there have been 66 fatal black bear attacks and 82 fatal grizzly bear attacks since 1974.
Why Grizzlies Are Federally Protected
Grizzly bears were listed as a threatened species in 1975 after populations in the lower 48 states dropped sharply because of hunting, habitat loss, and human expansion.
At that time, grizzlies occupied less than 2 percent of their historic range in the contiguous United States.
A 2023 Congressional Research Service report estimated that, as of 2021, there were about 1,095 grizzlies in the Northern Continental Divide ecosystem in Montana and about 727 in the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem across Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. Smaller populations exist in other northern regions.
Federal Officials Rejected Recent Delisting Requests
In January 2025, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rejected requests from Montana and Wyoming to remove federal protections for grizzly populations in the Greater Yellowstone and Northern Continental Divide ecosystems.
The agency said those populations had met recovery goals, but grizzlies would remain listed under the Endangered Species Act.
If grizzlies were delisted, primary management authority would move from federal agencies to states with bear populations, including Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho. Those states would then oversee population management and conservation policies.
Grizzlies Were Previously Delisted in Yellowstone Area
This is not the first time grizzly protections have been challenged.
A Yellowstone-area grizzly population was delisted in 2017 during the first Trump administration. A federal court reinstated protections in 2018 after legal challenges from tribes and environmental groups.
What This Means for Campers and Hikers
For campers and hikers, the debate comes back to a familiar reality: bear country is still bear country.
The recent incidents in Glacier and Yellowstone have renewed political arguments over who should manage grizzly populations. They have also brought attention back to basic safety practices in areas where bears live.
That includes storing food properly, keeping dogs leashed, carrying bear spray, and understanding that both grizzly bears and black bears may be present in major national parks like Yellowstone and Glacier.
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