URGENT: Do Not Kill Blaze, the Yellowstone Grizzly Sow and Her Infant Cubs

  • by: Richard Spratley
  • recipient: Daniel Wenk, Superintendent, Yellowstone National Park; Jonathan Jarvis, Director, National Park Service

This sow grizzly and cubs are accused of killing an experienced hiker. The park has announced they will euthanize her and her two infant cubs if they are able to link the hiker's DNA to the captured bears. If Yellowstone kills these bears, they will be making a tragic story even worse.

This grizzly is well known in the area. A 20 year old sow, her name is Blaze, and she's been photographed and enjoyed by thousands of visitors over the years. Blaze does not have a history of aggression and has not previously been determined to be a "nuisance bear." 

There is inherent risk in hiking in grizzly country. Anyone attempting to do so needs to take proper precautions. Despite hiking in the park for many years, this hiker carried no bear spray, wore no bear bells, and had roamed far off the trail. He most likely surprised Blaze and her cubs in their natural environment. She did what grizzly sows are famous for doing: defending her cubs from a perceived threat. This was a grizzly being a grizzly in grizzly territory.  

Blaze and her cubs do not deserve to be killed because someone didn't take necessary steps to avoid a confrontation. The least they could do is transplant the bears to a remote location far, far away if necessary. Killing these beautiful creatures will solve nothing, especially the innocent and infant cubs.

Please sign and share this petition far and wide. Please help save these magnificent creatures and allow them to live wild and free as bears were meant to be.

Please do not euthanize these bears. It seems very clear from the media and park reports that this was a sow protecting her cubs. Because this hiker was negligent in following basic rules in grizzly territory (no bear spray, no bells or noise makers, hiking alone), these bears may pay the price. They were in their own natural habitat, not invading human habitat. 


These bears deserve to live. They deserve to be wild and free. Please consider relocating these bears to a remote area. There are a million square miles of terrain that can be considered in and out of state. 


Thank you for your consideration and hearing the voice of the people. 

Update #28 years ago
Anipals, Blaze has been killed by the NPS. Now we need to focus our help on the two cubs. Please sign and share this new petition to put them in a rehabilitation facility or a sanctuary. Superintendent Wenk wants to put them in a miserable zoo. http://www.thepetitionsite.com/597/307/109/send-orphaned-grizzly-cubs-to-a-rehabilitation-center-or-sanctuary.....not-a-zoo/
Update #18 years ago
It is with the deep regret and a heavy heart that I let you know our NPS led by Superintendent Dan Wenk, murdered Blaze, today. Now we have another horrible problem, orphaned cubs I'll be creating another petition for. Wenk wants them in a zoo. We want them in a rehab or sanctuary.
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