Created on December 22, 1980, when President Carter signed Public Law 96-560, the 127,721-acre South San Juan Wilderness is a geographically remote and primal territory. On September 23, 1979 a sow grizzly was killed near Blue Lake by a bow hunter. This was the last documented grizzly in Colorado. It is still possible that grizzlies inhabit remote areas of the South San Juan Wilderness. A thorough search in 1990 by the Colorado Division of Wildlife, and local residents failed to confirm the grizzly with sightings, but scat and other evidence was found.