Bears in Heat

The polar bear is not alone in its struggle for survival in the face of global warming. Grizzly bears are feeling the heat too. Rising temperatures are turning Yellowstone National Park and the surrounding forest into cozy habitat for the mountain pine beetle, which is devouring the white bark pine tree, and in turn, the grizzly's main source of sustenance during the summer and fall -- white bark pine nuts. Without this vital nutrition, grizzlies are forced to roam lower elevations for food, coming into more frequent contact with humans -- and in these encounters the bears often end up killed. "This is potentially disastrous," says Louisa Willcox, director of NRDC's wild bears project, especially since Yellowstone's grizzlies were removed from the endangered species list this past spring. NRDC plans to challenge the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's decision in court, and filed a 60-day notice of intent to sue on April 2.