Reviews of Yellowstone Park records and other data showed that artificial food altered the natural habits of grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) and was basically responsible for most bear injuries to humans. A management program was implemented to (1) restore grizzlies to using natural foods entirely, and (2) reduce injuries from the relatively high levels attained during the 1960s. The program involved eliminating artificial food sources and selectively removing certain bears from the population. These were mainly animals that habitually visited campgrounds to obtain food and returned from transplants. The preliminary 1970 and 1971 results from the program suggested that initial trends were occurring in restoring a more natural grizzly population and reducing injuries to humans. The numbers of bears removed from the population each year were less than the production of cubs. Considerations of the logistic growth equation suggested that these removals could temporarily reduce emigrations, but were not of sufficient magnitude to prevent the park?s grizzly population from either maintaining or rapidly reestablishing its numbers at carrying capacity levels.

Additionally, the 1993 federal Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan is critiqued and an alternative plan is proposed. The authors state convincingly that the greatest threat to the survival of the grizzly bear is neither a lack of firm biological knowledge nor a lack of understanding in how to apply this information. Rather, the threat lies with our politico-economic system that demands unsustainable use of our public land and water resources.

This completely revised third edition of The Bears of Yellowstone remains a benchmark wildlife study.