The Grizzly Game: Trapping an endangered bear
Published at | Updated atEDITOR’S NOTE: This is the first of a two part series on the capturing and tagging of grizzlies in the wild. The second part of the series is published here.
FREMONT COUNTY — The forest is still. Not even a breeze swaying the lodge pole pine.
All eyes are on a large trap in the shade with a biologist kneeling by it. There’s an irritated grizzly bear in the trap. He needs to go to sleep before the crew on watch can go to work. The biologist puts a sedating dart through a small window on the trap. The bear is lights out in seconds then he’s dragged out of the trap and onto a tarp.
It’s the makeshift operating table in the woods.
“There’s really only a small number of people worldwide that work with these species and it’s a pretty cool thing to be part of that,” says Bryan Aber, retired Idaho Department of Fish and Game wildlife biologist. “It’s a recovered population now and should be delisted and that’s a good feeling to be part of that.”
Bear 227, Idaho’s first grizzly collared for research two decades ago, likes an easy meal. He’s been caught several times over the years. The grizzly grew up as an endangered species under a federal recovery plan that’s meant to save his species. He’s aging. You can tell by his worn teeth.
Hair and blood samples are collected for health testing beyond visual scan. He’s also weighed, measured and collared all in 45 minutes. The sleeping sedative wears off from nose to toes. The grizzly is licking his lips. Time to put him back in the trap and get out of the woods while opening the trap on the way out.
Grizzly 227’s new GPS collar will tell researchers where he goes.
“When you look at our GPS points from these bears, the majority of these bears do everything they can to avoid people,” Aber says. “I think they can make it here and I think we can live with them.”
Outdoor journalist Kris Millgate is based in Idaho Falls, Idaho. See her work at www.tightlinemedia.com