Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming euthanized a black bear last Friday after a "concerning pattern of behavior" from both parties, humans and the bear. This behavior gradually escalated over several days.
Dangerous proximity to visitors
The bear had approached visitors near Delta Lake in the southwestern part of the park earlier this year. This lake is located at an elevation of 9,000 feet and is known for its turquoise waters. However, it is unclear whether this was a separate incident or if the bear had become accustomed to feeding from humans.
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The park announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that the bear's behavior had changed, and it had approached visitors several times and received human food rewards. Park staff found that the animal was unusually unafraid of humans, which became evident after increased monitoring of the bear's behavior.
Action for safety
Park managers concluded that the bear's dangerous proximity to humans and its fed behavior created an "unacceptable safety risk." Before being euthanized, the bear was sedated and then its body was removed from the area the following morning.
The park emphasized that this bear was killed due to "poor decisions" made by visitors, stating: "The responsibility for keeping bears wild rests with all of us: never leave food unattended, even for a moment." Visitors and campers should gather all their belongings, especially food items, if a bear approaches.
This is not the first time a bear has been euthanized due to improper feeding. Last summer, a bear in Glacier National Park in Montana was euthanized for entering a vehicle and searching for food. Additionally, in Yellowstone National Park in Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho, another bear was euthanized for damaging food bags on a tree and destroying a tent.
Kerry Gunther, a bear management biologist in Yellowstone, said last month: "We make extensive efforts to protect bears and prevent them from accessing human food throughout the park. But sometimes a bear tricks us or breaches our defenses. In those cases, we may have to make the difficult decision to remove a bear from the population to protect people and property."
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Source: independent.co.uk
