Grizzly Bear Relisted as Endangered

A federal judge in Montana says the government must restore protections for an estimated 600 grizzly bears in and around Yellowstone National Park, citing a decline in their food supply caused in part by climate change.

Grizzlies lost their status as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act in spring 2007.

On Monday, U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy in Missoula sided with environmental groups who argued that the bear population remained at risk even after bouncing back from near-extermination last century.

Molloy cited a decline in whitebark pine trees - a key food source for many bears that has been disrupted by climate change - forest fires and other factors.

Reprinted from Association Press