Where are the Bears?
By the National Park Service
Grizzly bears are active
primarily during the night and at dawn and dusk. Look for grizzlies with binoculars
or a spotting scope in open meadows around sunrise or sunset. Grizzlies are often
seen from the road in the Lamar Valley, from Tower to Canyon, Lake, and Fishing Bridge.
They are also seen along the road to the East Entrance. In the backcountry,
grizzlies are most often seen south and east of Yellowstone Lake and in the Gallatin
Mountains in the northwest corner of the park.
Black bears are active primarily during the day and at dawn and
dusk. Look for them in small openings within or near forested areas. Black
bears are often seen along the road corridor from Mammoth to Tower and the Northeast
Entrance, and in the Old Faithful, Madison and Canyon areas. Black bears are also
seen in the remote southwestern corner of the park, the Bechler area.
Many visitors remember the days when bears were commonly seen along
the roads and within the developed areas of the park. Bears were attracted to these
areas by the availability of human foods, either handouts or unsecured camp groceries and
garbage. While people enjoyed seeing the bears close up, these encounters resulted
in an average of 48 bear-caused human injuries each year from 1930 through 1969. In
1970, Yellowstone initiated an intensive bear management program with the objectives of
restoring the bear populations to subsistence on natural foods and reducing bear-caused
human injuries. Regulations against feeding bears and securing human food out of the
bear's reach were strictly enforced. Garbage cans were bear-proofed and garbage
dumps within the park were closed.
Today, visitors still see bears (an average of 1500 bear sightings
are reported each year), but we are happy to report that bear-caused injuries have been
reduced to approximately one each year.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE GRIZZLY IN YELLOWSTONE
AND
BEYOND
Main Yellowstone Net Grizzly Page
Introduction to Yellowstone's Grizzlies
Ralph Maughan's Grizzly Reports
Bear Sighting
Reports (by National Park Service)
Kevin Sander's Bear Information Page (by
the "Bearman")
The American Grizzly Bear (by James
Musgrove)
The Great Bear Foundation (Non-profit)
|
