MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS, WY – Earlier this month, a female bear was killed by Yellowstone National Park staff. According to a July 17 press release, the black bear had become overly interested in human food and posed a threat to park visitors.
The National Park Service explained the lethal decision, writing:
On June 7, the bear crushed an unoccupied tent at the campsite. A few weeks later, on July 11, the bear climbed the site’s food storage pole, tore down properly stored food bags, and consumed the campers’ food. Although it is uncommon for bears in Yellowstone to obtain human food, when it does occur, bears can quickly become food-conditioned and may act aggressively or dangerously around humans, putting both people and wildlife at risk. The bear’s escalating behavior – including property damage and obtaining a significant food reward – posed a clear threat to visitor safety and warranted removal.
Adding:
The decision to kill the bear was based on:
- Ongoing concern for human safety
- Property damage to camping equipment
- The bear learning to defeat the park’s backcountry food storage poles to obtain human food
Kerry Gunther, Yellowstone bear management biologist said:
“We go to great lengths to protect bears and prevent them from gaining access to human food in all areas of the park, but occasionally, a bear outsmarts us or overcomes our defenses. When that happens, we sometimes have to make the difficult decision to remove the bear from the population to protect people and property.”
Five years had passed since the last bear was killed in a management action in Yellowstone.
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