Are there Grizzly Bears in Utah?

Are there Grizzly Bears in Utah?

No, there are currently no established or resident populations of grizzly bears in Utah.

Utah’s last famous resident grizzly bear, known as “Old Ephraim,” was killed in Logan Canyon back in 1923. By 1930, heavy hunting and trapping by early settlers and livestock farmers had completely wiped the species out of the state.

The American Black Bear is the only bear species permanently residing in Utah, with thousands of them thriving in the state’s mountains and forested areas.

• Wandering Neighbors: Because conservation efforts have successfully expanded grizzly populations in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, young male grizzlies have been pushing further south into Wyoming. State wildlife biologists have confirmed grizzly sightings within 20 to 30 miles of the Utah border (near Bear Lake).

• Could they return? While an occasional lone wanderer might cross the state line from Wyoming, wildlife officials note that Utah lacks the massive, contiguous, and unfragmented wilderness areas required to support a breeding, long-term population of grizzly bears.