Should Utah Bring Grizzlies Back?
Look, we've all seen The Great Outdoors. So when somebody suggests re-introducing Grizzly bears to Utah, we don't have a sense of humor about it. It's like when the old coot from Jurassic Park tells Jeff Goldblum that he's bred Velociraptors.
According to backcountrychronicles.com: (link to full story)
"The last known grizzly bear in Utah was killed in 1923. This was a famous bear known as Old Ephraim, who was hunted by a sheep herder from 1914 until he was finally able to kill the bear in 1923. The grave is in the Cache National Forest in Northern Utah and is marked with a grave stone, so this story is well documented.
It may be possible for grizzly bears to return to Utah if they continue to increase and expand in Wyoming or Idaho. Any entry into Utah would most likely come through the Bear River range or down the Green River corridor in Northern Utah."
Poor old Ephraim.
Now, people are reacting to this idea that somebody posed online in a variety of ways. Some people like the idea, like u/OkRazzmatazz on Reddit:
"I am from MT, My sister has 35 acres just outside of Missoula. There is a Griz den on her property. Our family camps on the property, they have chickens and pigs that they raise for 4h. We have never felt unsafe, until the week a pack of wolves traveled through, that was freaky. Humans and wildlife can live together, it requires respect and knowledge."
Some people just want more information, like u/crkspid:
"Like, reintroduce these bears in the forests? Or like in Sandy?"
Where do you stand?
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Gallery Credit: Zane Mathews