The percentage grizzly bears dieing from natural causes is up, so the percentage of grizzly bears killed by humans in the Greater Yellowstone area so far this summer is way down, says an article in the Jackson Hole News & Guide, citing data from Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team.

The increase in natural deaths may be due to the advancing age of the grizzly population, the article says.

The study team is collecting data that will inform a decision on whether area grizzly bears will remain “threatened” under the federal Endangered Species Act.

See the numbers and the theories behind the unusual mortality numbers in the Jackson Hole News & Guide article.

Photo of a grizzly bear in Yellowstone by Terry Tollefsbol