Feds: Yellowstone Grizzlies Are Thriving

HELENA, Mont. (AP) -- Grizzly bears are thriving in and around Yellowstone National Park and no longer need the protection of the Endangered Species Act, the federal government said Thursday.

In the 30 years since the grizzly was listed as a threatened species, the Yellowstone population has increased from as few as 136 animals to more than 500 today, the government said.

"The grizzly is a large predator that requires a great deal of space, and conserving such animals is a challenge in today's world,'' Deputy Interior Secretary Lynn Scarlett said in announcing the decision. "I believe all Americans should be proud that, as a nation, we had the will and the ability to protect and restore this symbol of the wild.''

The Interior Department said in 2005 that it intended to delist grizzly bears around Yellowstone in the states of Idaho, Montana and Wyoming.

Opponents questioned whether the bear population is large enough to be genetically diverse and withstand outside pressures such as global warming and food scarcity. One letter protesting the move was signed by more than 250 scientists, among them, primatologist Jane Goodall and bear researchers Chuck Jonkel and John Craighead Sr.

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