Night of the Grizzlies: How national park deaths led to changes in grizzly bear management

This story was originally published on Aug. 13, 2017, the 50th anniversary of the Night of the Grizzlies.

It is a story as tragic as it is unimaginable.

Glacier National Park in Montana had never recorded a fatal grizzly bear attack since its creation in 1910. On Aug. 13, 1967, different bears fatally mauled two young women camped miles apart.

The deaths of Michele Koons and Julie Helgeson, both 19-year-old seasonal park employees, brought confusion and disbelief. A firestorm of headlines followed with reports of purposely feeding bears at Granite Park Chalet and generally lax garbage and bear management park-wide. The coverage culminated when author Jack Olsen penned an article and book memorializing the events as “Night of the Grizzlies” – a title that stands to this day.

The improba