Spring is here, and with that, comes the end to a bear’s hibernation. In Mammoth Lake, the bears are already waking up and area wildlife specialists are noticing more activity. This week, Mammoth police have issued a reminder that the bears are back and to follow a few important guidelines to stay safe and prevent bears from becoming dependent on human food for survival.
In a recently released study of grizzly bears in and around Yellowstone National Park, scientists have announced that the population is at the highest level seen in many decades. Unfortunately, this means that the bears are being forced into more densely populated areas, which explains the increased frequency in news items about grizzly run-ins that we have been seeing lately.
If you’re planning on visiting Rocky Mountain National Park, be careful to not spill any beer in your car when you leave it in the parking lot. Last week, a bear managed to pry open the door of a Toyota Prius to get inside. What was inside the car that was so tempting to this bear? Spilled beer, toothpaste, and sunblock!
Researchers with the USGS have warned that visitors will run a greater risk of run-ins with grizzlies this fall. A shortage of whitebark pine cones (one of the grizzly’s main supplies of protein in preparation for winter) is most likely the cause of the increased sightings in Yellowstone. There have already been two fatal maulings…
UDAP Bear SpraySteve Weichman, the Teton County Attorney has been putting together a proposal that would require backcountry hikers to carry bear spray. The bill was announced on Thursday in Jackson, Wyoming at Snow King Resort. However, Weichman has not found a sponsor for the potential legislation.
We seem to be hearing more and more about incidents with bears these days. On Tuesday, a scavenging bear at Lakes Basin near the town of Mammoth got into a fisherman’s snack supply. Over the years bears have learned when and where people leave their food unattended and scout out these areas for easy meals….
We recently found out about the new requirements of bear canisters in Olympic National Park. If you are planning a trek in the park this summer, here are new rules, from the National Park Service website: Bear canisters are now required in the Sol Duc/Seven Lakes Basin area to include all camps adjacent to and…
With the recent news that the National Park Service is requiring all overnight hikers to carry and use a bear canister for their food in Rocky Mountain National Park (click here to read more), we thought we would take the time to put together some safety precautions you can follow when hiking in the wilderness….