the grizzly bear - a member of the supporting cast
This male grizzly was digging roots northeast of Lake, Yellowstone.
A Noble Calling and A Sacred Duty both take place in Yellowstone National Park and in the surrounding towns and national forests. The third book in the series, A Just Cause, is set in Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. While FBI special agents and park rangers make up much of the books’ list of characters, Yellowstone’s wildlife is an integral part of the novels. And the wild animal with the biggest starring role in the books is undoubtably the grizzly bear. My husband and I have been blessed to visit Yellowstone several times, and we’ve seen as many as sixteen adult bears on a single trip. A few of the photos of those bears are within this blog.
Such a handsome fella!
The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is comprised of over twenty-two million acres in northwestern Wyoming, southwestern Montana, and eastern Idaho. It includes Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and several surrounding national forests. That area contained an estimated 965 grizzly bears in 2022, the largest population within the lower forty-eight states. Grizzly bears once roamed much of the western United States, but by the mid-1970s they had been reduced in number to approximately 136 wild bears. In 1975, the federal government protected the grizzly bear under the Endangered Species Act and hunting was no longer allowed. Since that time, their numbers have grown dramatically, and their range has expanded. As of 2024, there are likely between 150-200 of the bears living within or partially within Yellowstone National Park. Grizzlies are listed as a threatened species under federal law as of 2024, but there have been recent efforts to remove their protected status and open hunting seasons on the bears in Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho.
Momma bear and a yearling cub.
The grizzly bear is one of the most iconic animals within Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. They can be seen throughout the parks and are especially easy to spot during the early spring when the elk and bison calves make up a part of their diet. While photos of bears attacking bison and elk are dramatic, most often you’ll spot them grazing and digging in meadows. Researchers say that an adult grizzly bear eats about seventy percent vegetative matter and thirty precent meat, fish, and other proteins. You’ll often see the bears digging for roots, eating grass and berries, or otherwise grazing. They will tear apart rotten logs and overturn large rocks to consume termites, moths, beetles, and other protein-rich insects. The bears’ three- to four-inch-long claws are ideal for digging, and they can also be spotted moving mounds of dirt looking for hidden rodent dens.
Don’t hike without your bear spray!
The bears are deceptively fast and agile — they can run as fast as a thoroughbred at short distances and turn on a dime. They use that speed to bring down not only elk and bison claves, but also adult animals. Their two- to three-inch canine teeth are formidable weapons and adult bears can weigh well over 500 pounds. The descriptions of the bears within all three of my novels are accurate; they can be unpredictable, aggressive, and dangerous. Never approach a bear, wear bear spray, and always hike in groups when in bear country. Grizzly bears are truly magnificent creatures, but they are wild animals at the very top of the food chain. Marvel at their beauty and strength when you visit their territory, but always give them the respect they deserve. And please do so from a safe distance!