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| WEDNESDAY March 21, 2001 Vol 5, # 29 |
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| WEDNESDAY March 21, 2001 Vol 5, # 29 |
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| Site Search | Support Yellowstone! Discussion $7.95 Internet, Email, More Email Newsletter | |
YELLOWSTONE ROAD
REPORT PUBLISHER EDITOR-IN- |
GRIZZLY ATTACK IN GRAND
TETON NATIONAL PARK by National Park Service GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. (NPS) -- Park employee Jim "Ole" Olson was attacked and injured by a grizzly bear around 9:30 p.m. on the evening of March 7th. Olson was skiing alone in Berry Creek Canyon en route to the Upper Berry Creek patrol cabin when he encountered the bear in an open meadow. Olson had seen grizzly tracks earlier in the trip. He first became aware of the bear when it was approximately 20 meters to his right and behind him. Olson turned toward the bear, illuminating it with his head lamp, and changed position by crouching down. At the same time, the bear charged him and bit him on the right shoulder and buttocks. The bear was on Olson for a few seconds, then calmly retreated in the same direction from which it had come. Olson lay still for about five minutes before continuing to ski to the cabin. When he arrived, he was provided first aid and treatment by ranger Mike Nicklas, who was already at the cabin. Olson was evacuated the next morning, and rangers and a park wildlife biologist conducted an investigation of the incident. Preliminary results of the investigation indicate that the bear was an adult grizzly with no cubs present, and that it had been traversing the base of the ridge to the north of the meadow, about a mile southeast of Hechtman Lake at the edge of the woods. The bear had been headed west, but changed direction and walked to the southwest to a spot near the point where the incident occurred. When Olson appeared, the bear turned directly toward him and approached quickly. Olson underwent surgery to clean the wounds and repair a torn tricep at St. John's Hospital in Jackson and was released the following day. He is very sore but recovering nicely and back at work. The Berry Creek drainage will be closed to public entry for approximately a week to ten days. No action will be taken against the bear. |
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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS AND COLUMNISTS Russ Finley
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SPRING BEAR
EMERGENCE REMINDER YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. (NPS) -- Yellowstone National Park Superintendent Michael Finley asks spring visitors to be alert for signs of bear activity in the park. The Bear Management Office has started receiving reports of bear activity in several areas within Yellowstone, indicating that bears are beginning to emerge from their winter dens. Soon after bears emerge from their dens they search for winter-killed wildlife and winter-weakened elk and bison, the primary sources of much needed food during spring for both grizzlies and black bears. Visitors are asked to be especially cautious of wildlife carcasses that may attract bears, and to take the necessary precautions to avoid an encounter. Do not approach a bear under any circumstances. An encounter with a bear feeding on a carcass increases the risk of personal injury. Bears will aggressively defend a food source, especially when surprised. If precautionary measures fail and a bear charges, behavioral reactions can be used to defuse the situation in most cases. Bear pepper spray is a good last line of defense that has been effective in most of the reported cases where it has been used. Bear spray is effective only at short distances (10-30 feet), and is adversely affected by wind, cold temperatures, and the age of the product. Take time to become familiar with your bear spray, the safety trigger, and holster. Carefully read the instructions and be aware of its limitations. If you decide to carry pepper spray, it must be immediately available, not in your pack. Remember that carrying pepper spray is not a substitute for vigilance and good safety precautions. Some news stories have suggested that bear pepper spray is a bear attractant. These stories have arisen from the misuse of the product -- applying it to people, tents, packs, or other equipment. Bear pepper spray is not designed to be applied as a repellent, but is designed to spray at a charging or attacking bear. Bear spray has been a highly effective deterrent when used in this manner. The National Park Service is continuing the seasonal "Bear Management Area" closures in Yellowstone's backcountry. The program regulates human entry in specific areas to prevent human/bear conflicts and to provide areas where bears can range free from human disturbances. The purpose of the Yellowstone National Park bear management policy is to ensure a natural and free-ranging population of black and grizzly bears. One important aspect of the management program is the separation of bears from unnatural food sources. Human foods are one of the chief culprits in the creation of problem bears. The bears' conditioning to groceries, garbage or intentional feeding, and habituation to people may lead to their causing human injury and property damage and occasionally require their destruction. Visitors are reminded to keep food, garbage, barbecue grills, and other attractants stored inside or otherwise unavailable to bears. Superintendent Finley states that park staff, along with other local, state, and federal agencies in the Greater Yellowstone Area constantly strive to protect the bear population through public education, enforcement of regulations for proper food and garbage handling, the relocation of problem bears, and seasonal human use closures. Visitors are asked to report any sightings or signs of bears to the nearest visitor center or ranger station as soon as possible. Permits for backcountry camping and information on day hikes are available at visitor centers and ranger stations. |
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| YELLOWSTONE FILM
RETRACTED by National Park Service YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. (NPS) -- On February 27th, a 30-minute episode entitled "A Winter in Yellowstone" was broadcast in the Seattle area on a weekly TV show. The show had a segment in which the host walked off the boardwalk in a thermal basin, dug a hole, and placed a piece of chicken in it. He later was shown to be digging up what appeared to be a cooked piece of chicken. Although the production company maintained that this was done to demonstrate the hot and dangerous temperatures in geyser basins, the park viewed it as demonstrating the old practice of attempting to cook food in thermal areas. Most of the filming in January occurred with an NPS monitor present, but this stunt was not originally scripted and was conducted at a time when the monitor was absent. The law enforcement office and public affairs contacted the company and came to an agreement with them. The company has apologized publicly, and has emphasized the safety and resource damage aspects of the stunt in a statement on their web site and on a short segment that will appear in an upcoming edition of the weekly show. The company was cited under 36 CFR for violating the terms of their filming permit and for digging up mineral resources. They've been placed on a "full monitoring" probation for any filming they conduct in the park over the next two years. |
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| SPECIAL YELLOWSTONE WOLF
SERIES News Brief The Billings Gazette has been running a special series on Yellowstone's wolves this week in the print and online editions of their newspaper. Today's story focuses on the sharp drop in the coyote population (about 50%) in Yellowstone's northern range as a result of the presence of wolves. To read the story, click here. |
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