Overview

• Park rangers reported three bear-feeding incidents in one week and issued a citation for a visitor who fed a mother bear and her two cubs
• Officials warn that feeding conditions bears to associate people with food, increasing aggressive behavior, vehicle collisions and the risk of euthanasia
• The park’s roughly 1,900 black bears share habitat with about 12 million annual visitors, with encounters peaking during the May–August breeding and dispersal season
• Intentionally feeding wildlife is a federal offense punishable by fines up to $5,000 or six months in jail, and visitors are urged to report offenders to authorities
• Safety guidance urges staying at least 150 feet from bears, securing food and trash in bear-resistant containers or locked vehicles, leaving dogs at home and considering bear spray