Yosemite Bear Facts July 26th - August 8th

Bear Activity Summary: High bear activity has continued in wilderness areas over the past two weeks. Several hikers reported bear containers being moved overnight in popular wilderness camping areas. When backpacking, always choose campsites on previously impacted or durable surfaces 100 feet from a trail or water, and far away from cliffs or streams where food storage containers could be rolled away and lost.

Bears were reported in the past two weeks investigating tents and campsites in the Little Yosemite Valley campground. Several incidents occurred along the John Muir Trail this week when people became afraid of bears nearby and abandoned their food. Remember to always keep food that you are using within arm’s reach and aggressively yell at bears that approach while you are cooking to scare them away. A bear that learns it can scare people away from their food can become more bold and potentially aggressive, please help prevent this behavior!

In Yosemite Valley, several bears have regularly been in and around campgrounds and along the Mirror Lake trail. 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, 21 bears have been hit by vehicles. Please protect wildlife by obeying speed limits and paying attention to roadsides while Interesting Bear Fact: Bears are wild animals that can potentially carry diseases. Protect yourself by never approaching wild animals and only viewing bears from a safe distance of more than 50 yards.

Interesting Bear Fact: Bears are wild animals that can potentially carry diseases. Protect yourself by never approaching wild animals and only viewing bears from a safe distance of more than 50 yards.

Other Wildlife Sightings: Several mountain lions have been reported in Yosemite over the last two weeks including in Wawona and Hetch Hetchy. For more information on mountain lions in Yosemite National Park, please visit the National Park Service website, http://www.nps.gov/yose/naturescience/mountainlion.htm.