Two Montana Republicans reignited calls to have the grizzly bear removed from the federal threatened and endangered species list after a hiker was killed.
After a woman was killed in an apparent grizzly bear attack in Montana over the weekend, two state Republicans are calling for grizzlies to be removed as a protected species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA).
With less than 2,000 grizzlies across the 48 contiguous states, the grizzly bear is considered a « threatened species » and protected under the ESA, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). It is illegal to « harm, harass or kill » these bears, except in cases of self-defense or the defense of others, FWS notes on its website.
A female hiker was killed « in an encounter with a bear » on Saturday on the Buttermilk Trail near the town of West Yellowstone, Montana, officials with the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (MFWP) confirmed in a statement Monday shared on Facebook. FWP wardens and bear specialists determined that the woman had « wounds consistent with a bear attack. »
« They also found tracks from an adult grizzly bear and at least one cub near the site, » FWP said.
The suspected grizzly attack reignited calls to « delist » and remove federal protections for grizzlies in certain parts of the U.
