Bear Activity Summary: Over the last two weeks, all of Yosemite’s reported bear incidents have occurred in wilderness areas. Most notably, several backpackers have had bear canisters rolled away from their campsites at night. Two of these incidents occurred near cliffs where a bear was able to successfully roll the canister off a steep rock face into inaccessible terrain. When backpacking in Yosemite carefully choose your campsite, place bear canisters within viewing distance, and never place them near a creek or cliff where a canister could easily go missing.
Bears have also obtained food from hikers who abandoned their packs to hike spur trails (including Half Dome), and from those who chose to store their food illegally by hanging or guarding packs. When not in use, food and scented items, including garbage and toiletries, must always be stored in a secured food storage container or food
If you see a bear during your visit please report it to the Save-A-Bear Hotline at 209-372-0322.
Red Bear, Dead Bear: So far this year, 17 bears have been hit by vehicles. Twelve bears have been hit by vehicles since July 12th (on every major road in the Park). Of the 12 bears hit in the past two weeks, four were found dead on scene. The rest were not locatable so their fates are unknown. Please protect wildlife by obeying speed limits and paying attention to roadsides while driving.
Other Wildlife Sightings: Mountain lions have been reported in Hetch Hetchy, Tuolumne, and Yosemite Valley over the last two weeks.