• Wind Cave National Park - Two Worlds      Wind Cave National
Park      National Park South Dakota  Grizzly Bear  Grizzly Bear
- Ursus horribilis  Grizzly Bear - Ursus horribilis  NPS Photo
The grizzly bear, once found over most of western North America,
now is restricted mainly to western Canada and Alaska. It is
listed as threatened in the lower 48 states, where it survives
only in parts of the northern Rockies and northern Cascades.
Conflict with humans and loss of habitat led to its present
status. The last grizzly bear was killed in the Black Hills in
1894.  Yellowstone, with about 200 grizzlies in the Greater
Yellowstone Area, Glacier, with 200, and North Cascades National
Park, with an unknown number of bears, are protected sanctuaries
for a large part of the population remaining in the lower 48
states. Intensive research on grizzly bears in Yellowstone and
Glacier national parks has led to the current management
practices. Unnatural food sources such as garbage dumps have
been closed and visitors an