After spotting a mama bear and two yearlings in Grand Teton National Park last weekend, a visitor reported the first known grizzly sighting after a season in slumber.
That means active grizzly season has returned to the Tetons.
“It’s possible that bears have been active in the Grand Teton National Park area for a little while now,” park spokesperson Emily Davis said.
The sow and her cubs were seen in the Cunningham Cabin area, a few miles south of Moran. The first bear of the season in Yellowstone National Park was reported March 9.
Davis said it’s typical that male grizzly bears reemerge in March, while the female bears often wait until early April. Last year’s first bear was spotted March 19, she added, which keeps this year’s sighting on track with years past.
Davis says it’s likely this sighting means the grizzly’s smaller cousin, black bears, are out too, and serves as a good reminder that it’s time to bring out the bear spray and bear-proof food storage while recreating in the backcountry.
