New Black Bear Video Shows What Not To Do! Be Bear Aware People!!!

WOW! That's all I can say after seeing the video of the mother black bear and her three cubs being harassed by tourists in Yellowstone National Park (YNP)!  Check it out for yourself.

I do not agree with the title of this video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HslURrpRgGE

Many media sources have reported on this video and said that tourists are being chased by the bears. This is definitely NOT the case. These bears are trapped on the bridge located east of Tower Junction in what is known as a Bear Jam. As you can see from the video there are cars parked on BOTH sides of the bridge. There are no natural escape routes for the bears, they are on a man made bridge over the Yellowstone River. Isn't the point of seeing wildlife in a place like Yellowstone to see the animals in thier natural habitat?

The top ten things to know about YNP are on the front page of thier quarterly newsletter:

1. Give wildlife a brake: Top speed in YNP is 45mph
2. Watch wildlife from pullouts: Don't impede traffic.
3. Campfires in designated areas only.
4. DO NOT APPROACH WILDLIFE.
5. Do not feed ANY wild animals.
6. Stay on designated trails and boardwalks.
7. Unmanned aircrafts (Drones) prohibited.
8. BE BEAR AWARE: Hike in groups, DON'T RUN under ANY circumstances!
9. Control your pet.
10. Cell phone service may not be available.

Three of the top ten things to know were disregarded by the people in the video. This information is offered to everyone coming into the park. I wonder how many people actually read it?

PLEASE BE MORE BEAR AWARE PEOPLE!!!

There are two different kinds of bears in the area. The black bear and grizzly bear. Luckily these tourists did not trap a grizzly bear on the bridge or the outcome could have been very different.

A few Bear Facts:

In Yellowstone National Park you must be at least 100 yards from bears and wolves and 25 yards from all other large wildlife. These people look to be 5 feet away and should be fined.
There were two grizzly related deaths in the park in 2011, four years ago.
Bears can run up to 35 miles per hour over varied terrain, much faster than humans.
There are an estimated 150 grizzly bears that make YNP thier home and over 1,000 black bears.
Male grizzly bears can weight up to 700lbs, females up to 400lbs.
Male black bears can weigh up to 320 lbs, females up to 200lbs.
Both are much stronger than humans!
Never turn and run from bears, people in the video were doing the opposite of what they should have.

If you live in the area or are just visiting PLEASE be aware that these are WILD ANIMALS!!! Yellowstone National Park is not a ZOO it's a park set aside "for the benefit and enjoyment of the people". Not the harassment of wildlife.

Yellowstone National Park's Mission Statement is:

 

Preserved within Yellowstone National Park are Old Faithful and the majority of the world’s geysers and hot springs. An outstanding mountain wildland with clean water and air, Yellowstone is home of the grizzly bear and wolf and free-ranging herds of bison and elk. Centuries-old sites and historic buildings that reflect the unique heritage of America’s first national park are also protected. Yellowstone National Park serves as a model and inspiration for national parks throughout the world.

Please be part of that model and help preserve this place, it is wild, epic and amazing!!!
Hopefully this video serves as an example of what not to do. People need to respect this place and all of the amazing things that make Yellowstone National Park the place it is so that all generations to come can enjoy it as we do today!