DWR News Release
Friday, May 21 is Endangered Species Day, making it a great opportunity to learn about some of Utah’s endangered and threatened species and what the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources and others are doing to help them.
There are currently 18 wildlife species in Utah on the federal endangered species list, with 10 listed as endangered and eight listed as threatened. Fortunately, some of those species have made remarkable progress in recent years.
Here is a look at a few of those species:
Colorado pikeminnow
The Colorado pikeminnow is a very unique fish species that only exists in the Colorado River system upstream of Lake Powell. As their name suggests, this fish species is a true minnow, meaning they have no teeth. And despite the fact that most people picture a tiny fish when they think of a minnow, pikeminnow can be up to six feet long. They are the largest minnow in North America.
PROVO A black bear was seen wandering around 900 E. Center Street in Provo at about 12:50 a.m. Thursday morning, Provo police said.
The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources stated it had already received multiple reports of black bears within the city limits. Officials said that due to the drought limiting food supply for the bears it is likely this year will have more sightings than usual.
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Provo Police Department in a series of tweets warned residents to call dispatch upon sighting the bear and report it. Residents should keep their distance from the animal and not approach or feed the bear.
Terrifying moment a Utah hiker is stalked by a menacing mountain lion dailymail.co.uk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from dailymail.co.uk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Vandalism, littering force closure of Utah camping area
Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
and last updated 2021-05-18 18:11:17-04
WEBER COUNTY, Utah â The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources offered up an example Tuesday why we can t have nice things.
In a post to social media, the department announced it would no longer allow summer overnight camping at the Middle Fork wildlife management area in Weber County due to excessive littering, vandalism and issues that required a police response.
Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
While the area is solely designated to provide a habitat for deer and wildlife, and not a place to camp, the DWR had allowed people to use Middle Fork as a camping site as long as it was treated with respect.
According to a press release from the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, the likelihood of conflicts with bears increases during drought years because a bear’s normal food supply is decreased. This leads bears to seek alternative food sources, which can put many at risk.
Utah’s low snow conditions and early warm weather can lead to bears coming out of hibernation earlier than normal. Additionally, drought conditions have a big impact on plant growth, which makes up approximately 90% of a black bear’s diet.
Because bears have an amazing sense of smell and have no problem eating food that people eat, bears start scavenging for food that humans are cooking and eating when their own food supply is low. This is the result of many of the conflicts between people and bears, according to the DWR.