(FILES) A Grizzly bear mother and her cub walk near Pelican Creek in this October 8, 2012, file photo in the Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. US wildlife managers on December 12, 2013 recommended lifting endangered species protection for grizzly bears in Yellowstone National Park, which, if approved, could open the way for them to be hunted again. Hunting of the big brown bears in Yellowstone, which spans the states of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, ended in 1975. Yellowstone grizzly bears are currently considered threatened, with a population estimated around 600 to 700. Some wildlife experts, however, questioned the rush to remove federal protection for the bears, saying they still face a number of critical threats to their habitat and diet. The delisting recommendation by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee means the US Fish and Wildlife Service can move forward with a new proposal to delist the bears. Such a proposal could be published for a 90-day public comment period in mid-2014. The Fish and Wildlife Service is not required to move forward with a delisting proposal, but experts believe it will. AFP PHOTO/Karen BLEIER/FILES