Bears in Yosemite National Park

Yosemite National Park is the natural home of a large bear population. "Being hungry like a bear" is an accurate description of any thing with a voracious appetite. Bears eat a lot and are extremely curious. They also have an incredible sense of smell. Regrettably, bears' accessibility to human food has altered their natural behavior, their foraging habits and their distributions and numbers. Each year black bears are killed in Yosemite National Park as a direct result of human carelessness and improper food storage.

Bears who get accustomed to eating human food often lose their instinctive fear of humans. They become aggressive and can cause extensive damage to motor vehicles, trailers, tents, ice chests, and other camping equipment while searching for human food. When bears become too aggressive and destructive, they often have to be killed. By storing your food properly while visiting Yosemite National Park, you can prevent a bear's needless death and ensure you and your family's safety.

Please follow these rules when visiting in the bear's home:

• Store all food and food related supplies in metal storage boxes where provided; clips must be used to secure bear boxes.
• Bears recognize ice chests and cans, so store them the same as food. Anything with a pleasant scent can seem like food to a bear, so also store grocery bags, garbage, and scented articles such as soap, sunscreen, hairspray, and toothpaste in a bear safe manner.
• Sealing foods in airtight containers will help minimize smells.
• Never leave food unattended in a picnic area or campsite, and always dispose of all garbage properly.
• Store food day and night. Bears may enter campsites or picnic areas during the day, even if people are there.
• Keep a clean camp. Put trash in bear-proof cans and dumpsters regularly.
• Do not leave your backpack and walk off to take a photograph. Bears recognize backpacks as a source of food.
• It is strongly recommended that no food be left in vehicles. Store all food and related supplies left at trailheads properly, including ice chests.

Use your head, plan ahead and make the wilderness of Yosemite National Park a welcoming environment for visitors and a safe home for the bears.