🐺 North America's large carnivores have recovered over the past 50 years

🐺 North America's large carnivores have recovered over the past 50 years

Gray wolves, pumas, black bears, and grizzly bears have made significant comebacks in North America. Black bears have increased by approximately two percent annually since the 1980s and now number over 850,000 individuals.

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  • Gray wolves, pumas, black bears, and grizzly bears have made significant comebacks in North America thanks to legislation and changing attitudes.
  • The wolf population in the Northern Rockies has increased from 66 reintroduced individuals to over 2,800 in 30 years.
  • Black bears have increased by approximately two percent annually since the 1980s and now number over 850,000 individuals.

Over the past five decades, four large carnivore species in North America have increased substantially in both numbers and range. Gray wolves, pumas, grizzly bears, and black bears were previously nearly exterminated across large parts of the USA and Mexico after centuries of persecution. Bounties and eradication campaigns had decimated the populations.

The US Endangered Species Act of 1973 became a turning point. The law enabled the reintroduction of 66 wolves to Idaho and Yellowstone National Park in 1995–1996. Their descendants now form breeding populations across 500,000 square kilometers in six states. In total, there are at least 2,800 wolves in this area.

Wolves spread naturally

In the Great Lakes region, the wolf population has expanded naturally from approximately 1,250 to around 4,400 individuals. This expansion occurred without direct human intervention, except for the reintroduction of 19 wolves to Isle Royale in 2019.

In Alaska, the wolf population is estimated to have increased from 4,000–6,000 to 7,000–10,000 individuals. In Canada, the numbers have risen from at least 36,500 to between 52,000 and 57,000 wolves.

Black bears increase steadily

Black bears have experienced a similar recovery. More conservative harvest management and dozens of reintroductions to at least seven states have contributed to the increase. The first translocation of black bears occurred as early as 1933, when individuals were moved from Yosemite National Park to Angeles National Forest in Southern California.

Estimates suggest that North America had at least 850,000 black bears by 2000. Populations have grown by approximately two percent annually since the 1980s. During the same period, the species' range expanded by approximately 1.5 million square kilometers.

Pumas reclaim lost territory

Pumas have undergone a natural range expansion of approximately 900,000 square kilometers throughout much of western North America. The recovery is primarily attributable to the cessation of bounties across the western USA during the 1960s. Pumas were classified as a game species subject to regulated harvest in many states, including an outright hunting ban in California.

There are now breeding populations in the states immediately east of the Rocky Mountains. However, the Great Plains present a barrier to further eastward expansion.

Grizzly bears increase in number

Grizzly bears have recovered approximately 100,000 square kilometers of their former range. Populations in the contiguous states have increased from approximately 500 to over 1,700 animals in recent decades.

In Alaska and Canada, the situation is better. There, grizzly bears occupy approximately 60 and 100 percent of their historical ranges, respectively. Numbers increased from around 30,000 in the early 1970s to approximately 57,000 in the late 1980s due to reduced persecution.

Carnivores affect the ecosystems

The returning carnivores have effects on other species in the ecosystems. In Wisconsin, wolves reduced deer-vehicle collisions by 24 percent. The economic benefits outweighed the costs of livestock depredation by a factor of 63.

One study estimated that puma recovery in the eastern USA could prevent 155 human fatalities and save 2.13 billion dollars in collision costs annually.

Wolves also provide food for scavengers by leaving behind carcasses that are well distributed across the landscape. Researchers documented twelve species of birds and mammals scavenging at wolf kills in Yellowstone, compared to just four avian species at hunter-discarded offal.

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