Tuesday, January 04, 2011

"Scientific" American suggests that carbon dioxide caused fatal grizzly attacks

Extinction Countdown: Lack of food drives human-grizzly conflicts—and human-grizzly fatalities
As their traditional food supply disappears because of climate change and invasive species, Yellowstone National Park's grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis ) are increasingly seeking sustenance outside their protected home—a move which more than ever puts them in the crosshairs.
...
Although some deaths were caused by hunters who confused the grizzlies for black bears, which are not a protected species, most occurred after grizzlies wandered outside the park in search of food. In 2010 this wandering caused a record number of human–bear conflicts as well as the mauling deaths of two people.
[But did CO2 really cause those two fatal grizzly attacks?]
[July 29, 2010: *Lack* of global warming allegedly a factor in fatal attack by grizzly bear in Yellowstone area]
Bear reports have been flooding into the Fish, Wildlife and Parks regional office in Missoula this year because of a cold spring that has delayed fruit and berry growth by about two weeks, said Jamie Jonkel, bear management specialist. Consequently, bears are prowling the lowlands where people live and play to find food.
[June 2010, Yellowstone area: Team that researched CO2's effect on human/bear conflicts tranquilizes a bear, which wakes up and almost immediately kills a hiker?]
2005: Yellowstone grizzlies are a success story — High Country News
Because of the law’s protections and the focused management efforts it has stimulated, the grizzly population in the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem has been growing at a rate of 4 percent to 7 percent a year for at least the last 15 years.

No comments: