In Part 2 of our coverage of Night of the Grizzlies, we find out exactly who was screaming and why. Although most of our stories are graphic, this one is especially so. Listener discretion is advised.
Julie Helgeson and Michele Koons became the first recorded victims of a fatal grizzly bear attack in Glacier National Park, on the same night, by different bears. Their deaths changed the way that National Parks, especially Glacier, manage their grizzlies. Their deaths could have been avoided if park officials had responded to the reports of the increasing number of negative grizzly encounters, and the continued habituation of the bears. And for years to follow their deaths, the North American grizzly population suffered greatly. Now, in 2022, we know better and must do better.
If you'd like more details on this story, see Jack Olsen's
Night of the Grizzlies. You can also check out Montana PBS's coverage
here. To learn more about how you can recreate safely in our National Parks around bears, please see the
National Park Service's website.
You can sign Ashley's petition to change RSA 207:26
here.
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