Yosemite Bear Facts — October 20, 2024

2024 Total Property Damage to date: $3,034

Bear Incident Comparisons (year to date—previous years compared to 2024):

Bear Activity Summary: So far this year, about one third of bear incidents have occurred in Yosemite’s residential areas, another third have happened in wilderness, and the rest were in various frontcountry areas. This highlights the important impact we all have on wildlife in Yosemite both living here and visiting the park. Constant diligence with your food storage is important and can have drastic impacts on the lives of the bears that live here.

Bears this time of year are spending the majority of their time eating, trying to pack on pounds for hibernation. Acorns are a primary food source for bears in the fall, and the crop of acorns is particularly large this year. Bear activity has been picking back up in Yosemite Valley the past couple of weeks, with a bear getting into a food storage locker that was not properly latched this week.

Red Bear, Dead Bear: Please help protect wildlife by obeying speed limits and being prepared to stop for animals in roadways. Twenty bears have been hit by vehicles with three confirmed dead.

Fascinating Bear Facts: Fat is the only source of metabolic energy during black bear hibernation. In the fall, bears focus on food with high fat content (such as acorns) over high protein content. Hyperphagia is over-eating in order to build these fat reserves.

Other Wildlife: Mule deer bachelor groups have been very active roadside in developed areas, foraging for oak leaves and acorns causing frequent traffic jams and crowds. Always avoid getting close to wildlife. Deer are particularly unpredictable in the fall with hormonal changes impacting behavior.

Please report bear incidents and sightings: Call the Save-A-Bear Hotline at 209-372-0322 or e-mail yose_bear_mgmt@nps.gov.