Bear Facts

July 21, 2024

updated as often as possible

Bear Incidents

Location

Wilderness: 6

Campgrounds: 1

Parking lots and roadsides: 0

Residential: 4

Other areas: 8

Total: 19

Number of incidents last year: 38

So far this year, incidents are:

• up by 7% compared to last year
• up by 58% compared to the year with the fewest incidents (2019)
• down by 95% compared to the year with the most incidents (1998)

Note: A bear incident occurs when a bear causes a monetary loss to a person--that is, if the bear causes property damage or obtains food. Bear incidents also include cases of bears causing injury to a person (which are fairly uncommon).

Activity Summary

Bears have obtained unattended food from visitors and residents in Yosemite Valley and El Portal on multiple occasions. Tent cabins, picnic areas, and residential houses have all been targets of bears opportunistically finding food not properly stored. In Yosemite Valley, two tagged male bears have been actively seeking human food at picnic areas and tent cabin sites. As the raspberries dwindle, apples are becoming the main draw for bears in Yosemite Valley. Untagged bears have been observed foraging on apples and leftover raspberries, sometimes near people. In El Portal, a female bear continues to approach and find food in and around unsecured residences. Fruiting trees in El Portal are also a current draw for bears to spend time too close to people and homes: please pick your fruit!

In early July, a human-bear encounter resulted in a minor injury to a hiker who inadvertently collided with a bear on Happy Isles Rd. The tagged bear had just obtained garbage from Upper Pines and ran into hiker walking down the road without a light.

Let us know if you see a bear, no matter where it is or what it's doing. Call 209/372-0322 or send an email.

Slow Down!

Eleven bears have been hit by vehicles with one confirmed dead. One cub was taken to a wildlife rehabilitation center last week, it is likely the mother was hit by a vehicle. Help protect wildlife by obeying speed limits and being prepared to stop for animals on roads.

Fascinating Bear Fact

Bears can travel great distances to return to a known food source. Relocated bears frequently return within days in Yosemite, and in the process of returning, risk encountering vehicles as well as human development. For this reason, YNP usually avoids relocating bears.

Learn more about bear biology and bear management in Yosemite.

Other Wildlife

Summer is here! The Northern Pacific rattlesnake is a venomous species found in Yosemite. These snakes have excellent camouflage and are easy to miss when hiking hot, dusty trails, or scrambling through talus fields. Always check under objects and rocks when sitting to snack, and if you encounter a rattlesnake, give it plenty of room. Do not try to move the animal, it will move off trail on its own if given space.