Bear Events in the Savage River Area of Denali National Park and Preserve in Summer 2020

Abstract

The summer of 2020 in Denali National Park and Preserve presented the Wildlife Management team with many challenges, not the least of which was a bear that frequented the Savage river and Primrose areas of the park. Starting about mid-June, a grizzly bear interacted with visitors and staff on numerous occasions by approaching closely and charging. For safety reasons, the situation was initially managed with trail and area closures for short as well as extended periods of time. The eventual plan was to catch the bear, attach a radio collar and perform a hard release on site.

Aerial reconnaissance was not successful in locating the bear nor were attempts to lure the bear into a culvert trap. In early August a bear fitting the description was reported west of Savage river. The bear was subsequently darted from a helicopter, collared, and released at Savage river. Examination of the bear revealed that it had been captured and collared in the past as part of a grizzly bear research project. Data gathered from that project showed that the bear spent little time in the Savage river area in the two previous years. In this report we explain the detailed timeline of events that lead the to eventual capture and release of this bear and its subsequent movements. We discuss what we learned as this situation progressed and provide suggestions to avoid a similar situation in the future.

Read the full report.