Researcher: At least 42 grizzlies in Cabinet, Yaak

MISSOULA (AP) - Researchers have accounted for at least 42 grizzly bears in the Cabinet and Yaak regions of northwestern Montana.

Research leader Kate Kendall reported her findings to the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee in December in Missoula.

Researchers used scent-baited "hair corrals" where rings of barbed wire snagged hair as the animals stepped over or under it and collected samples in places where bears naturally stop to scratch their backs.

The count includes 38 grizzlies identified by their DNA and four collared bears whose DNA didn't appear in the samples. Including visiting bears and bears that died during the study, the figure could be as high as 54.

The number is important because the health of the grizzly population influences how much logging and mining can take place in the area.