On Friday, September 11, Grand Teton National Park staff lethally removed a black bear from the Delta Lake area after a concerning pattern of behavior, from both the bear and visitors, escalated over several days.
Earlier this year, park staff received several reports of a black bear approaching visitors near Delta Lake. At the time, there was not enough information to determine whether the behavior represented an emerging food-conditioning issue or an isolated occurrence.
That changed last week.
The bear received multiple human food rewards and repeatedly approached people. Park staff increased monitoring in the area and found the bear unusually difficult to haze away, its behavior consistent with conditioning to human foods.
Park managers determined that the repeated food rewards, escalating proximity to people and increasingly food-conditioned behavior created an unacceptable safety risk. Because Delta Lake is a remote backcountry location, wildlife staff darted the bear to immobilize it and then euthanized it on site. The bear carcass was flown out of the backcountry the next morning.
We need to be clear—this bear was lethally removed because of poor decisions made by park visitors. It is everyone’s responsibility to help keep bears wild: Never leave food unattended, even for a moment. Gather all your belongings, especially your food, if a bear approaches. If you have time to grab your phone, you have time to grab your food.
A bear that gets a food reward can learn that approaching people pays off. What may seem like a small decision in the moment can have serious consequences for the bear, other visitors and park staff. Help us keep bears wild by making the right choice every time.
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Check out our online trail guides:
- Glacier National Park: HikinginGlacier.com
- Grand Teton National Park: TetonHikingTrails.com
- Rocky Mountain National Park: RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
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