Wildlife biologists will be trapping grizzly bears in Yellowstone to monitor the park's population and to place radio collars on some of the bears/NPS

As part of ongoing efforts required under the 2016 Yellowstone Grizzly Bear Conservation Strategy to monitor the population of grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, biologists with the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team and Yellowstone National Park will be conducting scientific grizzly bear and black bear research operations in Yellowstone from August 22 through October 31.

Team members will bait and trap bears at several remote sites within Yellowstone. Once trapped, the bears will be anesthetized to allow wildlife biologists to radio-collar and collect scientific samples for study. All trapping and handling are done in accordance with strict protocols developed by the IGBST.

None of the trap sites in the park will be located near established hiking trails or backcountry campsites, and all trap sites will have posted warnings for the closure perimeter. Potential access points will also be posted with warning signs for the closure area. Backcountry users who come upon any of these posted areas need to heed the warnings and stay out of the area.

The Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team was established in 1973 to collaboratively monitor and manage grizzly bears in the ecosystem on an interagency basis. The gathering of critical data on the bears is part of a long-term research effort and required under the 2016 Yellowstone Grizzly Bear Conservation Strategy to help wildlife managers devise and implement programs to support the ongoing conservation of Yellowstone’s grizzly bear population.

The IGBST is composed of representatives of the U.S. Geological Survey, the National Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Forest Service, the Eastern Shoshone, and Northern Arapaho Tribal Fish and Game Department, and the states of Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming.