Wednesday, September 18, 2024

Rocky Mountain National Park reminds visitors to Be Bear Aware

Rocky Mountain National Park posted this blurb on their social media today:
#BeBearAware - This is the time of year when bears are actively looking for food and getting ready for winter.

American Black bears (Ursus americanus) are now in hyperphagia, which means they are working to consume 20,000 calories per day to help increase their body fat by 35 percent before they hibernate for the winter. This is the time of year we must all be hyper-vigilant - the reward of unsecured human food can quickly change a bear's natural feeding behavior. You can help save a bear's life by preventing them from obtaining human food, scented items, and garbage.

🐻 Never leave food, trash, or scented items unattended.

🐻 Always lock your vehicles and keep your windows rolled up when you are not in your vehicle. Bears have excellent senses of smell and will open vehicle doors to look for food.

🐻 Do not leave food or coolers in the back of pickup trucks. Remember, pickup truck topper shells and bed covers will NOT stop a bear from entering the back of a pickup to look for food.

🐻 When hiking, keep all food and scented items with you at all times - Do Not leave your pack unattended.

🐻 When going wilderness backpacking camping, all food, cooking equipment, garbage and other scented items must be secured inside a hard sided, commercially-made carry in/carry out bear-resistant food storage canister. Interested in learning more about Black bears? Visit https://www.nps.gov/subjects/bears/black-bears.htm




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