For the second spring in a row, a grizzly bear has been confirmed to be in the area near Kemmerer. This area is 65 miles away from the Demographic Monitoring Area.
How does this bear sighting impact you? It means the grizzly bear population is expanding beyond the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and growing.
Tom Graham, the region supervisor, said these types of sightings are becoming more common.
“This is black bear country, but with the verified presence of a grizzly, people should be practicing bear safety while outside. Be sure to keep a clean camp, free of food waste and garbage.”- Tom Graham
Wyoming Fish and Game also stated that this bear is currently not involved in any human conflicts. However, WFG will continue to monitor the area and remind those recreating to practice bear safety.
“These spring sightings are the furthest south grizzly bears have been verified since well before recovery efforts began in the 1970s.” – Tom Graham .
In 2019 the NPS estimated a population of 728 bears. At least within the Greater Yellowstone Area. It is common for an adult grizzly to have a home range of anywhere from 50 to 300 square miles. As a result, grizzlies need a lot of room to roam.
This sighting comes after a different grizzly attacked and killed a man outside of West Yellowstone. With grizzlies exploring new territory one can never be too careful in the backcountry.
The WFG wants to remind the public to stay bear-aware. Never keep food or other “smellable” items in your tents. Always keep vehicles and trailer doors locked and do not leave garbage or food out. In short, keep your campsite clean.
