First Bear Sighting of the Year
You know it's almost spring when the clocks change, the birds come out of hiding, and the first bear is spotted in Yellowstone National Park.
Early Wednesday morning the first grizzly of the season was seen in Yellowstone between Mammoth Hot Springs and Tower-Roosevelt in Gardner. Later in the morning, two other grizzly bears were observed scavenging carcasses in the northern part of the park.
This is probably a good time to remind you that all of Yellowstone National Park is bear country. If you plan on visiting the park, or really any of the other mountain regions this year, here's a few guidelines:
- Be prepared for a bear encounter
- Avoid hiking at dusk, dawn, or at night
- Do Not Run If You Encounter a Bear - You cannot outrun them
- Try and stay at least 100yrds away if you see a bear
- Store food, garbage, barbecue grills, and other attractants in hard-sided vehicles or bear-proof storage boxes.
- Please report bear sightings and encounters to a park ranger immediately.
Check out below how fast a bear can come up on you!