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Grizzlies are starting to emerge in Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks. They're looking for the carcasses of animals that died over the winter. NPS / Neal HerbertIts officially grizzly bear season.The first bears of 2025 have been spotted in Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks. Adult males, called boars, are emerging from their dens this month, with females and juvenile bears expected to follow in April and early May.The first grizzly of spring is as much of a tradition as the groundhog in February, writes Andrew Rossi for Cowboy State Daily.On March 9, the National Park Service (NPS) reported fresh grizzly paw prints in the snow in the northern section of Yellowstone National Park. Then, on March 13, a trail camera set up by photographer Trent Sizemore in nearby West Yellowstone, Montana, captured a grizzly lumbering across the snow, reports PetaPixels Pesala Bandara.On March 19, an employee at Grand Teton National Park spotted a grizzly north of the parks boundary. Since then, other reports of bear sightings have been trickling in, including the first black bear sighting of the season in Grand Teton.Its definitely an exciting time, says Justin Schwabedissen, a bear biologist for Grand Teton National Park, to the Jackson Hole News & Guides Christina MacIntosh.The bears emergence from their winter hibernation is a sure sign that spring is here. But officials are also using the opportunity to raise awareness about the potential for human-bear conflictsand how to prevent them.Theyre reminding members of the public to properly store food and garbage, respect wildlife closures and carry bear spray while adventuring in the backcountry. And, if a grizzly or black bear does cross their path, to give the creature plenty of spaceat least 100 yards.The period immediately after hibernation can be especially dangerous, as the bears are hungry and looking for food. Most will refuel by feasting on the carcasses of animals that died over the winter. Theyll be heading to lower-elevation areas and south-facing slopes, in search of spots where snow has melted enough to reveal previously hidden remains.Its pretty challenging with all the snow we have around, Schwabedissen tells the Jackson Hole News & Guide. Bears are relying on knowledge of where food sources have been in the past.Last year was a particularly bad year for human-bear conflict in northwest Wyoming. Authorities responded to at least 168 incidents in Teton County and the Town of Jackson, which is twice the long-term average. Officials killed nine bears; they relocated and hazed many others.Unsecured garbage in residential areas and unattended backpacks in the park remain the overwhelming cause of these conflicts, according to the NPS statement.Wildlife lovers are still mourning the death of Grizzly 399, a well-known adult female who lived in northwest Wyoming and was accidentally struck and killed by a car driverlast October. At the time of her death, Grizzly 399 had a cub with herbut the cub, nicknamed Spirit, fled after the accident.Fans of Grizzly 399 are eager for the chance to see Spirit, though its possible the cub did not survive the winter.I am holding my breath for that cub, Isabella Smedley, a local wildlife photographer, tells Cowboy State Daily.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: Animals, Bears, Mammals, National Parks, Wildlife, Wyoming, Zoology
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