GRIZZLIES HAVE ALWAYS been incredibly difficult to find in the rugged, 8-million-acre Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem in Montana. Getting a precise count of the bears living in the region was virtually impossible until U.S. Geological Survey scientist Kate Kendall and her colleagues initiated an innovative study in 2003 that allowed them to capture DNA samples without disturbing the animals.

The study, which gained notoriety last year when some critics called it a waste of taxpayer money, is in fact vitally important to efforts to protect the largest population of the threatened species in the continental United States. Without an accurate count, federal authorities cannot assess how well their legally mandated recovery plan is working. As it turns out, that plan is working well. Last fall, Kendall released data showing that 765 grizzlies are living in the northern Montana ecosystem—two and a half times the number of bears thought to be ranging there. The study’s results not only provided a reliable census, they also demonstrated that, as one NWF wildlife expert notes, “we can turn species toward recovery when we put money, attention and habitat protections in place.”

The grizzly revelation is one of several recent discoveries of previously undocumented populations of rare species featured in the article “Good News Numbers.” The result of improved wildlife-censusing techniques and hard work by persistent researchers, the discoveries have dramatically changed our perceptions of the overall numbers of certain creatures. As the article points out, however, increased populations alone do not measure success.

Elsewhere in this issue, you can read about the water wars that are erupting in parts of the southeastern United States, as well as vampire bats and other creatures that subsist on blood. And if you are among the millions of Americans who regularly keep backyard feeders full for birds, you will want to read the latest information about which seeds best help the animals meet their nutritional needs. See “Backyard Habitat.”