Yosemite Bear Facts — May 1-7, 2022

2022 Total Bear Incidents: 2
2022 Total Property Damage: 62

Bear Incident Comparisons (year to date—previous years compared to 2022):
Last year (2021) - down by 33%
Most Incidents (1998) - down by 99%
Fewest Incidents (2019) - up by 100%

Bear Activity Summary: Bears are out of their dens and are active on the Yosemite Valley floor. Bears have been seen frequently browsing in meadows and on trails surrounding the valley. Bears have been spotted mating in the Yosemite Valley recently—black bears in the Sierra Nevada usually mate between May and June.

The first two incidents of year took place in April, including a bear obtaining human food from a hiker along the Merced River below Vernal Fall, and a bear entering the bathroom at Vernal Fall footbridge on the Mist Trail. Bears are very active on the Mist Trail and John Muir Trail corridor south of Nevada Fall. Because of the amount of foot traffic in this area, it is important to yell aggressively and loudly if you see a bear on these trails (especially if it is approaching people).

While a bear in a developed or highly used area may not be a threat to your safety, bears that learn to tolerate people being close may become habituated, learn to associate people with food, and then become aggressive. Stay back a minimum of 50 yards from all bears and keep any food either in hand or within arm’s reach at all times in Yosemite.

Red Bear, Dead Bear: Please help protect wildlife by obeying speed limits and being prepared to stop for animals in roadways. At least one bear has been hit by a vehicle in the last month in Yosemite.

Fascinating Bear Facts: Even though black bears are members of the order Carnivora, 80% of the diet of Yosemite black bears consists of vegetation, seeds, nuts, and berries during springtime.

Other Wildlife: Yosemite toads (Anaxyrus canorus) are now entering breeding season as snow melts in the subalpine zone.

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eeek
Even though black bears are members of the order Carnivora, 80% of the diet of Yosemite black bears consists of vegetation, seeds, nuts, and berries during springtime.

What's the other 20%?

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Sierra Miguel
What's the other 20%?

Tourists?

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Sierra Miguel

What's the other 20%?

They dig up a lot of insects and try to catch fish. Sometimes when elk and deer are calving they'll try to catch a fawn but I don't think they can catch many if they're healthy. I hear about black bears occasionally getting one in Idaho and GRIZ will sometimes get a reindeer calf in Alaska. They'll also eat carcases of dead animals and they can smell them very well to get there before they rot.