Here's Why We May Start Seeing Grizzly Bears In Utah Again

If you've ever traveled in Utah, then you probably know that the Beehive State is famous for its scenery. In fact, Utah contains a whopping five national parks, almost all of which are considered to be bucket-list worthy national parks. However, what Utah is not known for are its grizzly bears. While the state does have a small population of black bears (4,000, to be exact) and is bordered to the north by states that do have grizzly bears, the Beehive State does not have any grizzlies to speak of.

However, that's not to say that grizzly bears living in Utah in the future is not a possibility. This western state was once part of the apex predator's historic range, with estimates placing the last known Utah grizzly killed in 1927. In fact, in recent years, grizzlies in Idaho have begun expanding their territory and have been sighted wandering pretty close to Utah's northern border. This has raised concerns (and some excitement) that these large bears may eventually make their way back down into Utah, with Utah Division of Wildlife Resources biologist Darren DeBloois telling The Salt Lake Tribune, "I think if someone did see a grizzly bear in the next decade or so in northern Utah, I probably wouldn't be shocked."

However, just because grizzlies have been spotted near Utah's borders doesn't mean they're guaranteed to take up residence in the state anytime soon. These bear sightings are likely because young male grizzlies tend to be curious and like to explore farther than other bears. This causes them to sometimes be spotted outside of the grizzly bear normal range, but doesn't mean they will stay for long. On top of this, even if the bears do take up residence in northern Utah, they likely won't immediately thrive. In fact, although 25 grizzlies have been reintroduced by environmental agencies to the North Cascades in Washington, it is still expected to take 60 to 100 years for the bear population to reach 200.

So, if you currently live in Utah or are planning a hiking vacation there soon, you really have nothing to be worried about as far as grizzly bears are concerned. However, you may want to brush up on what to do in the event you are attacked by a black bear, which is quite unlikely but possible. If you do want to go to somewhere where you may be able to spot grizzlies in the wild (after taking all necessary safety precautions), then your best choices are Yellowstone National Park or Glacier National Park, which has to close some of its hiking trails every year due to bear activity.