A record 77 grizzly bears died in Yellowstone this year. Miracle’s survival depends on humans doing better. (Opinion)

This summer a grizzly cub in Grand Teton National Park gained international fame after an adult male bear killed the yearling s two siblings The sole survivor of the attack dubbed Miracle then separated from its mother to fend for itself sometimes hanging around a busy area of the park As Miracle s story spread the cub became the object of fascination for thousands of people Perhaps that s no surprise as several of us are intrigued by the grizzly s power and strength along with the reality that it s an apex predator like us Miracle s survival is precarious Since she left the protection of her mother so early she s on her own finding food before hibernating Seventy-seven grizzlies died in the Yellowstone area last year the highest number yet As of September bears had been killed at this rate the number of dead bears will surpass last year s record What s going on You could say that grizzly bear recovery in the Lower is a success story Prior to European settlement an estimated bears roamed throughout the Lower By though only about remained with perhaps of them in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem In grizzlies were listed under the Endangered Species Act which ended their indiscriminate slaughter and bear numbers slowly rebounded Currently the Forest Arrangement says an estimated grizzlies live in and around the Yellowstone area with maybe more in the Northern Continental Divide region of Montana Despite the increase in numbers mortality rates are on the rise The majority wildlife managers say the current rate is not a matter of concern They say the species is stable And yet is it Roughly cubs are born in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem recovery area each year but of those only around survive Wildlife managers assure us bears are doing well but is this sustainable especially when the mortality rate keeps inching upward year after year The bulk obvious reason for bear deaths is us We are everywhere marked the second-busiest year in Yellowstone National Park s history with more than million visitors In August of the park was on track to see a visitor increase over On top of increased visitation the human population in the Rocky Mountain West where grizzlies roam is growing steadily Teton County Wyoming has seen a increase in residents over the last decade The population in Teton County Idaho is up since Gallatin County Montana has grown about in the last years On the ground you can t miss the impacts of progress Trails are crowded Parking is at a premium You need reservations at restaurants and the traffic is often stop and go Not surprisingly bear-human conflicts are more frequent Automobile collisions kill bears interactions with landowners kill bears Grizzlies might do fine with more people if their habitat were intact and healthy but much of their home ground has been in moderate to severe drought for several years according to U S Drought Monitor This year s berry crop was dismal Whitebark pines whose seeds are an crucial food source for bears are threatened by beetles and blister rust All this forces grizzlies to search out new food sources and particular of the best ones turn out to be ours Our cows and sheep Our apple trees Our bee hives Wyoming U S Representative Harriet Hageman has introduced law to take away endangered species protections for grizzly bears which would be a major blow to their survival People shouldn t have to live in fear of grizzly bears rummaging through their trash or endangering their children Hageman explained Such comments are deliberately inflammatory I have heard three people describe surviving a bear attack decades ago All three insisted that the bear was only acting in self-defense One even remembers how awed he was by the diamond-like glint of water droplets on the bear s fur as she ran toward him I m not sure what would happen if I faced a charging bear I just want enough wherewithal to pull out my bear spray While I hope I never have to deploy that spray I am willing to take the vulnerability to know wild bears roam the landscape If grizzlies were gone something vital would be missing from our world While grizzly bear mortality may not yet be alarming wildlife managers I hope we ve gotten a wakeup call Molly Absolon is a contributor to Writers on the Range writersontherange org an independent nonprofit dedicated to spurring lively conversation about the West She hikes and writes in Yellowstone bear country Sign up for Sound Off to get a weekly roundup of our columns editorials and more To send a letter to the editor about this article submit online or check out our guidelines for how to submit by email or mail