Black Bear Euthanized In Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area

Over the weekend, Bighorn Canyon staff temporarily closed the Black Canyon campground and lethally removed an adult male black bear following a series of concerning incidents at the campground.

On August 9th, the bear explored two tent sites, biting a sleeping mattress of one occupant and crushing a tent of another.

It is unknown if the bear received a food reward while going through the tents.

However, it does seem likely this bear has received food rewards in the past.

Bears can quickly become food-conditioned and may act aggressively or dangerously around humans, putting both people and wildlife at risk.

The bear’s escalating behavior – including property damage and resistance to hazing attempts– posed a clear threat to visitor safety and warranted removal.

The decision to kill the bear was based on:

– Ongoing concern for human safety

– Property damage to camping equipment

– Resistance to hazing attempts

“It is important for us to have Black Canyon Campground open for our visitors. Staff worked diligently this winter to update the Bear Management Plan. We have been following that plan to educate visitors and have used the plan to haze bears from campground areas.” said Dustin Sene, Bighorn Canyon Acting Superintendent. “This bear was obviously looking for food, seemed habituated to getting it at the campground, and ignored hazing attempts. When that happens, we sometimes have to make the difficult decision to remove the bear from the population to protect people and property.”

Black Canyon campground has been reopened.

Due to increased bear activity, Staff will be doing increased patrols through Labor Day to ensure the safety of our visitors and bears.

To ensure campgrounds remain open, visitors should follow these basic safety rules when visiting bear country:

– Do not leave any fish or entrails on the lakeshore.

– Odor attracts bears! Never leave food or garbage unattended.

– Use bear boxes for food storage.

– Do not leave food, dirty dishes, empty food containers, or cooking utensils out or stored in a tent.

– Never Feed a Bear