“If you have time to grab your phone, you have time to grab your food,” the park told visitors
Credit: Grand Teton National Park
NEED TO KNOW
- A black bear at Grand Teton National Park was euthanized after it repeatedly received human food and approached visitors near Delta Lake
- Officials said visitors’ actions taught the bear to associate people with food, creating a serious safety risk
- Park staff emphasized the importance of never leaving food unattended to help keep bears wild and safe
A black bear has been euthanized at Grand Teton National Park, and officials say the animal’s death comes down to the “poor decisions” of tourists.
According to a statement released by the park on Facebook, officials “lethally removed” the bear on Friday, Sept. 11, near Delta Lake, a remote backcountry spot in the Wyoming park, after what officials described as a concerning pattern of behavior from both the bear and visitors that had escalated over several days.
“We need to be clear — this bear was lethally removed because of poor decisions made by park visitors,” officials said in the statement. “It is everyone’s responsibility to help keep bears wild: Never leave food unattended, even for a moment.”
The issue began earlier this year, when staff received several reports of a black bear approaching visitors near Delta Lake. At the time, officials said they didn’t have enough information to know whether the encounters were isolated or a sign the bear was becoming conditioned to human food.
Credit: Grand Teton National Park
However, that changed last week, when the bear received human food on multiple occasions and repeatedly approached people. As staff monitored the animal more closely, they found it was “unusually difficult to haze away,” which officials said is consistent with a bear that has learned to associate people with food.
Credit: Grand Teton National Park
Ultimately, officials said, the repeated food rewards and the bear’s growing comfort around humans created an unacceptable safety risk.
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Because Delta Lake sits in a remote area, wildlife staff tranquilized the bear with a dart and euthanized it at the scene, then flew its carcass out of the backcountry the following morning.
Officials stressed that even a single food reward can teach a bear that approaching people pays off, putting both the animal and future visitors’ lives at risk. “Gather all your belongings, especially your food, if a bear approaches,” the park said. “If you have time to grab your phone, you have time to grab your food.”
“What may seem like a small decision in the moment can have serious consequences for the bear, other visitors, and park staff,” officials added, urging visitors to “help us keep bears wild by making the right choice every time.”
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