LETTER: Please be careful when driving on Swan Highway

I am horrified by how many grizzly bears we have lost recently. It’s sad that three grizzlies have been killed on the Swan Highway (Montana 83) this year.

Although this highway isn’t designated Wild and Scenic, it is indeed wild and scenic. People should slow down while traveling 83, enjoy the scenery, and just maybe see a bear (a LIVE BEAR), or a moose, an elk, bald eagles or golden eagles.

During a poor berry year, as 2015 was, bears have learned to rely on road-killed deer for the calories they need to consume in order to survive in their dens over the long winter. This has put them at risk of becoming road-kill themselves. Drivers please reduce your speed along Montana 83, especially during the critical fall months. It will help you avoid hitting bears and damaging your car.

Snow-packed roads will soon be upon us. Please, please, please use caution. If you see a group of ravens, that most likely means there is a road-killed animal nearby. When you see ravens, expect to see an eagle or two. Eagles gorge themselves, and cannot get airborne easily. If it is safe for you to do so, consider moving the carcass further off the highway.

I ask all who drive Highway 83 to adhere to the speed limits. There is a night time speed limit of 55 mph. It is my understanding that the three grizzly bears were hit during darkness. —Kathy Koors, Condon