Being opportunistic omnivore generalists, grizzly bears’ dietary plasticity likely explains their worldwide distribution as opposed to other species of bears. While you might be under the impression that the grizzlies that roam Yellowstone National Park primarily dine on large mammals, in fact 61% of their diets is sourced from plants. Another interesting faction when it comes to the carnivorous portion of their calorie intake is they eat more ants by volume than ungulates (ants 15.8% vs elk 8.3%).
While plants may make up the majority of what they eat, other animals are very much on the menu and grizzlies aren’t picky and don’t mind scavenging. Such was case for this family of grizzlies near Yellowstone Lake, the largest high elevation lake in North America, who caused a minor traffic snarly while retrieving a marmot carcass from the road.
Thankfully a park ranger was on hand to direct traffic and keep the tourists safe in the presence of these apex predators as they made off their meal:
“Grizzly bears cause a ruckus in Yellowstone National Park. The mother grizzly and her cub walk on the hillside and the grizzly cub runs after some birds. Then both bears start to make their way towards the road where a lot of tourists are parked to observe them. At first it is not clear as to why they went down to the road with so many people in their way, but you soon see the mother grizzly grab the road kill and then run back up the hill. She then gives the road kill to her cub to eat. The video was taken near Yellowstone Lake. The handheld video was shot from our car with a zoom lens.”
Foraging bears are attracted to Yellowstone National Park roadways by roadkill and park staff will may remove large mammal carcasses from high-use areas to reduce bear-human conflicts. If you come across a bear jam at Yellowstone make sure to use pullouts to watch wildlife and let other cars pass. Also stay with your vehicle if you encounter a wildlife jam. Learn more about grizzly safety at Yellowstone National Park below.
Yellowstone National Park Grizzly Safety Guidelines:
- 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.
