The bears of Yellowstone National Park are a great attraction for tourists from around the world. The area surrounding Yellowstone National Park is one of the few places south of Canada where black bears and grizzly bears coexist. In the past grizzly bear tourist encounters were seemingly encourage with bear being regularly fed by park staff and visitors. That behavior was extremely unhealthy for both the humans and the animals, often leading to property damage, injuries, and death.
In 1970, Yellowstone National Park adopted a new bear management program that focuses on maintaining the natural populations of grizzly and black bears while keeping park visitors safe. The program involves closing access for bears to all human food sources and working to provide safe opportunities for visitors to view these apex predators in their natural habitats.
In certain instances, creating safe viewing scenarios involves park rangers issuing commands to tourists to avoid potential negative encounters like this one which occurred along a road inside the park.
Although slow to comply, these tourists ultimately returned to their vehicle after a park ranger yelled at them to do so. To be clear, Yellowstone National Park requires that all bears be given at least 100 yards (300 feet) of space and these folks were in violation of the park policy. Read more on bear safety in Yellowstone National Park below:
Yellowstone National Park Bear Safety Guidelines:
All of Yellowstone is bear country, from the trails in the park’s backcountry to the boardwalks and parking lots around Old Faithful. Your safety cannot be guaranteed, but you can play an active role in protecting yourself and the bears people come here to enjoy.
- Give bears space. Keep at least 100 yards (93 meters) from bears at all times and never approach a bear to take a photo.
- Carry bear spray and know how to use it. We recommend each person carry one can of bear spray in a readily accessible location like a quick-draw holster (not stowed away in your backpack).
- Hike in groups and make noise. Since 1970,91% of the people injured by bears in Yellowstone were hiking alone or with only one hiking partner. Only 9% of the people injured by bears were in groups of three or more people. While hiking on a trail, periodically yell “Hey bear!” to alert bears of your presence. Learn more about backcountry safety.
- Respect closures. Do not travel in areas closed for bear management.
- Never feed bears. Bears that become dependent on human food may become aggressive toward people and will be killed.
- Stay with your stuff. Do not leave packs or bags containing food unattended, even for a few minutes, as bears learn new food sources quickly.
- If a bear approaches or touches your car, honk your horn and drive away. We want to discourage this behavior for the bears’ safety and yours.
- Help us spread the word! Share posters from our “A Bear Doesn’t Care” campaign.
If you’re involved in a conflict with a bear, regardless of how minor, contact us or report it to a park ranger as soon as possible. If cell service is available, dial 911. The lives of other people, and the bear, may depend on it.