Pennsylvania may watch for the emergence of a groundhog as a sign of spring, but in Yellowstone country, people watch for grizzly bears. On Monday, March 7th, a pilot supporting Yellowstone National Park wildlife research observed the first grizzly bear of 2022.
The adult bear was seen walking in a meadow in the west-central part of the park. That’s about a week earlier than the first sighting last year. Male grizzlies come out of hibernation in early March.
Females with cubs emerge in April and early May. When bears emerge from hibernation, they look for food and often feed on elk and bison that died over the winter.
When feeding on carcasses, the bears will sometimes react aggressively to encounters with people. Park visitors are being urged to be vigilant for the hungry bruins.
ups photo
