Black bear (Ursus americanus), Photo courtesy of NPS
Each year, Yosemite National Park hosts 5 Million visiting humans and hundreds of resident Black Bears. The relationship between the two has not always run smoothly. When the park was first created, people were encouraged to feed the bears! This created generations of bears that learned to get their food from humans.
Today, people must store food in bear-proof containers. And potential “problem bears” are dissuaded by Rangers, who employ aversion training to teach them to avoid campgrounds.
This strategy has largely worked. Today, there is a generation of bears in the park whose mothers never taught them to raid campgrounds. And seeing a wild bear is often the highlight of a trip to the park.
Below is a video made in 2015, when the outcome was not so clear. The black and white footage of people feeding wild bears is shocking. Learn about the relationship between people and bears in Yosemite, and how everyone must strive to keep our wild places wild.
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The way Americans treat their national parks is an abomination. They’re allowing politicians to sell off the rights to concessions to foreign corporations, cutting funding, and staff, leaving trash, feeding wildlife, driving over every inch of unfenced space. It’s sickening to see the unbelievable ignorance about the natural world, biology, geology, forestry, water management, etc. Americans often act more like animals than the ones in the park naturally. Many have deep respect, and we love them, but millions are so ignorant, and disrespectful of rules, and nature they aren’t fit to be out in public. If we continue voting for right wing fascists who seek to destroy our institutions, and sell off our natural resources to the highest bidder we will have no national parks in the not to distant future. Federal agencies, and federal lands are under attack by Republican fascists, and thieves who must be stopped. Teddy Roosevelt, and John Muir are turning over in their graves.
Peter, I think it’s unfair to put all Americans in the same basket. I also think you’re exaggerating the misbehavior of park visitors.
If you recall, the concept of national parks originated in America. The biggest problem we have today is that Americans are increasingly isolated from nature. You don’t protect something you don’t love. And you don’t love something you don’t know anything about.
The current administration has demonstrated a complete disregard for our public lands. This is evidenced by a roll-back of environmental regulations, the reduction of protected wilderness, and the opening of public lands and coastline to damaging commercial exploitation. However, the solution is not to spew vitriol and call people names. Instead we need to help Americans understand the value of America’s wilderness areas. We need to encourage people to experience and love them. Only then will they speak up, and vote for leaders who will protect our environment.
I have traveled abroad, and most Americans don’t know how lucky we are in our public lands. It’s up to us to help them understand.