When you visit Yosemite National Park one thing you expect to see, hopefully from a distance is the presence of bears. Many campers would consider it a successful trip if they manage to get a snap-shot or two of a mother bear and her cubs forging for a mid-afternoon snack. A photo like that would be valued treasured for years to come in that family.
However, Park Rangers at Yosemite report incidents of bears raiding campgrounds, breaking into cars and even hurting people to get food has increased dramatically from last year. Property damage due to bears has reached over twelve thousand dollars. Unfortunately Park Rangers have had to kill several bears that threatened human life by breaking into occupied houses and cabins in their search for food.
Wildlife Biologist Steve Thompson said "It could be a problem with a natural food source. It could be that we just have certain individual bears active right now that are heavily conditioned to human food. It could be that maybe people are being more careless.” So what is the solution? Thompson said "The solution is more in managing the people than it is in managing the bears."
A big part of the solution is educating folks on how to properly store their food. Metal lockers large enough to hold an extra large ice chest are now a major part of what is nearly a zero tolerance policy in the park for improperly stored food. The lockers are bear proof because we can open the lockers but the bears are unable.
Yosemite Park Ranger Kari Cobb said "We have the food storage lockers in every single campsite in the park. You will not rent a campsite without having a bear locker. It's just our policy that you’ll have to put your food in the locker." Steve Thompson believes bears will change their natural eating habits after only one exposure to human food. Rangers are trying to stay one step ahead of the bears that are just waiting to take advantage of careless campers.
For more information on bears and planning your next camping trip, visit www.nps.gov.
