grizzly bear – Page 9 – Syndication Server

Yellowstone bear ferociously guards kill as tourists watch

A grizzly bear that killed a bull elk in a Yellowstone National Park river battle last Friday has become a major tourist attraction.

That’s because the male grizzly has partially buried the elk on the bank of the Yellowstone River, across from a paved road, and is taking his time consuming the carcass.

“Wolves tried to come in yesterday, but this bear won’t even allow ravens to share, which is unusual,” Deby Dixon of Deby’s Wild World Photography, told For The Win Outdoors.

“This bear is methodical and does not appear to be concerned about anything taking away his food. Most bears stuff themselves in a hurry, for fear of losing it to another.”

Dixon on Tuesday captured a remarkable image showing the bear in a ferocious defensive posture alongside the half-buried elk. (See full image below.)

“I don’t want to run into this guy in the forest!” Dixon wrote on Facebook.

(Graphic video showing the bear attacking the elk can be viewed here.)

Grizzly bears do not typically attack full-grown elk, but this elk appeared to have previously suffered a broken leg, which made the animal vulnerable.

“A healthy elk would have gotten across the water before the bear even got to the river,” said Dixon, who specializes in Yellowstone wildlife photography.

After drowning the elk, the bear carved a large section of bank and covered most of the carcass to keep it fresh and prevent its scent from attracting predators.

News of this incredible display spread across social media and wildlife enthusiasts are driving into the park daily to witness the feeding event. (The grizzly bear is known to the park, cataloged as 791.)

Dixon said park staff is doing a good job of keeping tourists from blocking the road, but people are parking farther away and walking back to watch or photograph the bear.

A park spokeswoman told For The Win Outdoors that rangers may not always be present and that tourists “have a responsibility to behave in a way that doesn’t put people, or the bear, at risk.”

–Images courtesy of Deby Dixon/Deby’s Wild World

Quick-thinking hunters survive grizzly bear attack

An Idaho hunter who was attacked by a grizzly bear Friday might have saved his own life – with help from his companion – by deploying bear spray as he was being knocked to the ground.

According to the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, the unidentified victim was archery hunting for elk with a friend when the two encountered what they described as a grizzly bear at close range in dense foliage.

The bear charged as the victim began to deploy his spray. His companion also sprayed the bear, which fled after a few tense and harrowing seconds.

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The hunters walked out of the Caribou-Targhee National Forest backcountry and the victim was transported via ambulance to a hospital in Rexburg, where he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

The incident near Two Top Mountain led to the posting of bear warning signs and prompted this statement from the Idaho Department of Fish and Game:

“Hunters and other forest users are reminded to always be prepared when in bear country by carrying bear spray and knowing how to use it.”

–Grizzly bear image courtesy of IDFG

Grizzly bear runs straight at hikers, who react in the worst way

A grizzly bear was heading directly for a group of unsuspecting hikers, who clearly were clueless on dealing with bear encounters, as video shows.

A grizzly bear on a trail in Glacier National Park on Sunday was heading directly for a small group of unsuspecting hikers, who clearly were clueless about how to deal with bear encounters in the wild.

Another group of hikers on a switchback above those ill-informed hikers saw what was transpiring and began warning them about the approaching bear and shouted “get off the trail,” and then the grizzly started running.

VIDEO: A grizzly bear running towards a group of hikers in Glacier National Park on Sunday afternoon. #glaciernationalpark #grizzly #bears #bebearaware pic.twitter.com/llZuX1AR8U

— NBC Montana (@NBCMontana) August 31, 2020

Once the grizzly started running, the shouts of warning became louder and more urgent. You can hear someone in the distance yelling to “back up, back up,” and a woman nearby says, “They shouldn’t run” before yelling to them, “Don’t run, don’t run!”

So what did they do? Dulé Krivdich, who sent the video to NBC Montana, picks up the story he told the station:

“Just then, the griz made a bluff charge and we saw people booking it like we’ve never ever seen before in our lives. But I think that it was a case of the bear not knowing the people were coming up, [and] the people had no idea. But once they did, [they] did the worse [sic] thing, they ran!”

Fortunately, after the bluff charge, the grizzly continued on its way, disinterested in the running hikers.

“Thank goodness that it all went well afterwards,” Krivdich told NBC Montana.

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Ironically, that same day, Glacier National Park posted on Facebook this warning to hikers:

“If you’re hitting the trails, there are a few other considerations to keep in mind. If you can’t see the trail ahead of you, it’s important to make your presence known by making human sounds like shouting or clapping loudly. Additionally, hiking in a group allows bears to see, hear, and smell you better, reducing your risk of a surprise encounter. If you do happen to see a bear on the trail, ensure you maintain at least 100 yards of distance and slowly back away from it. Carrying bear spray (and knowing how to use it!) is recommended on all trails in the park. You never know when you may see a bear!”

At least they did one thing correctly: hiking in a group.

Photo of generic grizzly bear courtesy of the National Park Service.

Momma grizzly with cubs stands up to Yellowstone wolves

When a bison carcass is discovered by wolves and grizzly bears, competition can be fierce between the apex predators.

A lone adult grizzly typically has no problem bellying up to a carcass, and scattering wolves. But it’s more dangerous when the grizzly has cubs.

The accompanying footage, captured recently by a tour guide inside Yellowstone National Park, shows a momma grizzly bear and two cubs running from wolves after the bears tried to intrude on the carcass.

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Taylor Bland, a guide for Yellowstone Wolf Tracker, told For The Win Outdoors that her footage began as at least four members of the Junction Butte wolf pack began to chase the bears.

“A big, 2,000-pound bison was killed by another bison during the rut, and this was Day 2 of the carcass,” Bland said of the early August sighting. “The wolves were trying to keep the bears from feeding on it.”

She referred to the wolves’ behavior as “resource guarding” and said it did not appear that they intended to kill the cubs.

However, Bland said, “Wolves will occasionally kill grizzly cubs because the cubs will grow up to be competition. Same goes for bears and wolf pups.”

Viewers may note that the momma grizzly tried to stay between her cubs and the wolves during the brief pursuit, and ultimately stopped to square off with the wolves.

Her cubs, like momma, occasionally stood in what seemed a defensive posture.

Finally, the wolves gave up and ventured back toward the carcass.

Bland added that after the wolves had filled up on bison flesh, momma grizzly and both cubs returned and feasted on the carcass for two-plus hours.

“Most of the wolves bedded down about 100 yards off the carcass,” Bland said. “Two yearling cubs stuck around but [momma] bear chased them off multiple times and they were no match for her.”

The bison rut, or mating season, runs from mid-July through August. During this period, rival males are sometimes killed by more dominant bison. The carcasses provide sustenance to other species.

Bland said her group’s sighting – “one of the most epic bear-wolf interactions I’ve ever seen” – occurred in Lamar Valley.

Her footage was captured from a distance of a quarter-mile and she removed the sound, she said, because the excited chatter from her group “drew away from the events that were happening.”

–Top image courtesy of Taylor Bland; aerial shot of the Junction Butte wolf pack last winter is courtesy of NPS / Dan Stahler

Grizzly bear appears to perform CPR on trash can

Can grizzly bears perform CPR? No, but video has surfaced showing a large grizzly imitating the life-saving technique on a trash can.

Can grizzly bears perform CPR?

Not exactly, but video footage has surfaced showing a large grizzly superbly imitating the life-saving technique on a bear-proof trash can.

The footage, shared Saturday as part of the New York-Presbyterian’s Hands Only CPR campaign, was captured at the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center in West Yellowstone, Montana.

Comments in the TikTok post range from, “Best CPR training video I’ve ever seen” to “Will somebody feed the damn bear?”

https://www.tiktok.com/@hocpr/video/6827442450181770502

(TMZ posted the same video Sunday, and added the Bee Gees’ “Stayin’ alive” soundtrack.)

The clip shows the bear first trying to remove the container’s lid, but ultimately favoring immense power and bulk to try access its contents. (It remains unclear whether the bear was successful.)

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Trent Redfield, lead naturalist at the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center, told FTW Outdoors said the center’s grizzly bears participate in its Bear Product Testing Program. The center works with state and federal agencies in the testing of garbage and food storing containers.

The containers are filled with treats that the bears can smell, and the animals are given an hour to break them open. If the bears cannot break into the containers, the products are certified as “bear resistant” by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee.

Product testing is considered to be enrichment for the bears.

Redfield could not recall when the accompanying footage was captured, but said this type of scene is fairly common during product testing.

Grizzly bears at the nonprofit educational facility are animals that were deemed nuisance bears habituated to humans, or orphaned cubs of nuisance bears.

At feeding time each morning, guests can watch them turn over large boulders and even climb trees to access treats stashed before the animals are released from their dens.

Man mauled by grizzly bear may have had luck on his side

A Wyoming man who was mauled by a grizzly bear last Friday appears to have been saved by bear spray simply by having it in his possession.

A Wyoming man who was mauled by a grizzly bear last Friday appears to have been saved by bear spray simply by having the deterrent in his possession.

Spencer Smith was shed antler hunting in Sunlight Basin northwest of Cody when he was ambushed in dense timber.

Smith, who sustained serious neck wounds, walked 1.5 miles to his ATV and called for help. He was assisted by Warden Chris Queen of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, and flown via helicopter to a regional hospital, where he was listed in stable condition.

A WGFD investigation revealed that during the encounter the bear bit and ruptured Smith’s bear spray canister as it was still in its hip holster. This “presumably” caused the bear to end its assault, the agency stated this week in a news release.

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Smith was hiking alone and the bear appears to have attacked before he could respond.

“This appears to be a surprise encounter that occurred at close range,” said Dan Smith, a regional supervisor for the WGFD. “The bear was likely behaving in a defensive manner resulting from an unexpected, close encounter.”

Investigators found tracks of a lone adult male grizzly bear, and a daybed site in dense cover about 30 yards from where the attack occurred. But they could not identify the animal and the WGFD does not plan to trap or kill any bears in the area.

–Grizzly bear images are via Wikimedia Commons and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Gleeful reception for grizzly bear emerging from hibernation

In these stressful times, thank goodness for small wonders, such as a grizzly bear emerging from its long winter hibernation.

In these scary and stressful times, thank goodness for small wonders, such as the sight of a grizzly bear emerging from its snow-covered den after a long winter nap.

The accompanying footage, captured at the Grizzly Bear Refuge in British Columbia, Canada, shows a bear named Boo poking his head through the snow to rediscover the bright and glistening universe above ground.

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“Eight years it took me to catch this moment!” exclaims a gleeful Nicole Gangnon, who manages the facility in Golden, B.C. “Yeah! Hello… Oh, my big boy, momma’s so proud of you!”

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Boo, looking groggy as he ends his months-long hibernation, is the star attraction of the 20-acre refuge at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort.

He and his brother, Cari, were orphaned in 2002 after their mother was killed by a poacher. Sadly, Cari died of intestinal problems in 2004.

According to the Kicking Horse website, “Boo hunts, plays, forages, and explores just like his wild cousins.”

The Grizzly Bear Refuge is billed as the world’s largest enclosed and protected grizzly bear habitat. Because of its vastness, guests are not guaranteed a Boo sighting but can return free of charge if they do not see the bear.

Viewers can click here to enjoy images of Boo captured over the years.

–Images are courtesy of the Grizzly Bear Refuge at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort

Yellowstone logs first grizzly bear sighting of 2020; visitors cautioned

Biologists flying over Yellowstone National Park on Saturday documented the park’s first known grizzly bear sighting of 2020.

The park announced Monday that the sighting, near Grand Prismatic Spring in the Midway Geyser Basin, occurred a day earlier than last year’s first sighting.

“Now that bears are emerging from winter dens, visitors should be excited for the chance to view and photograph them, but they should also treat bears with respect and caution,” said Kerry Gunther, the park’s bear management biologist.

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“Many visitors think bears are ravenously hungry and more likely to attack people for food after emerging from hibernation, but almost all bear attacks result from surprise encounters when hikers startle bears at close distances and the bears react with defensive aggression.”

Male grizzly bears are typically first to emerge from hibernation, beginning in early March. Momma bears with cubs leave their dens in April and early May.

Although wintry weather might persist in and around the park for weeks, visitors are urged to exercise caution.

“Hikers, skiers, and snowshoers should travel in groups of three or more, carry bear spray, and make noise,” Gunther cautioned.

Visitors are supposed to maintain a distance of at least 100 yards from grizzly bears.

Yellowstone also reminded tourists that access to areas where there’s a high density of winter-kill bison and elk carcasses will be restricted in the weeks ahead to minimize the risk of surprise bear-human encounters.

–Generic grizzly bear image and Grand Prismatic Spring image are courtesy of Yellowstone/NPS