Bear capture operations in Grand Teton National Park and the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway are set to run from May 24 to October 15 with biologists from the U.S. National Park Service and U.S. Geological Survey.
Bear capture efforts support ongoing black bear research in Grand Teton National Park and grizzly bear population monitoring throughout the entire Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. The grizzly bear work is conducted by an Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team to document recovery under the Endangered Species Act.
Trap sites will be posted with bright warning signs so the public is aware of area closures. The public must respect these closures and stay out of posted areas for both bear and human safety, though all trap sites in the park will be placed far from established roadways, hiking trails, and backcountry campsites.
Natural food sources like road-killed elk are used to bait bears into the traps. Once trapped, the bears are handled with strict safety and animal care protocols before being released on-site.
The data collected informs ongoing research and management efforts throughout the area and are vital to the continued conservation of black and grizzly bear population.s More information on grizzly bear monitoring can be found on the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team’s website.
