Grand Teton National Park black bears are plentiful and fairly visible, but feeding them is illegal. Two visitors recently were cited for feeding bears, and a sow was put down because she had associated humans with food/NPS file photo

A female black bear at Grand Teton National Park was destroyed and her two cubs shipped out of state to a zoo because they been fed fruit by visitors.

Two Grand Teton visitors were recently cited for illegally feeding wildlife within the park. On Thursday, October 4, visitors in two separate vehicles along the Signal Mountain Road were observed feeding fruit to three black bears, the park release said. The bears, a sow and two cubs of the year, each received several food rewards during the incident and made contact with several vehicles along the road. 

Feeding wildlife creates a safety risk for humans as animals associate people with food; bears can also become aggressive in seeking additional food, especially when preparing to den for the winter. Animals that are fed by humans also have an increased likelihood of being drawn to roadways and killed by vehicles.

The maximum penalty for feeding wildlife is a $5,000 fine and up to six months in jail. The individuals cited most recently are to make their initial court appearance in mid-November.

Since June, these bears have been frequenting several developed areas in the Signal Mountain vicinity in very close proximity to people, the release noted. Park staff and volunteers spent hundreds of hours trying to keep park visitors and these bears at safe distances from each other, near a busy park campground and lodging area. 

In early August, two people sitting on the beach near Signal Mountain Boat Launch were startled by the bears and left a pack unattended. The sow found and ate an apple from the pack. 

Due to the bears’ comfort with humans in developed areas, and, most importantly, behaviors that associated humans with food, posing an unacceptable risk to public safety, the three bears were captured and removed from the park. The loss of these animals removes the opportunity for this bear family to contribute to a healthy, wild population and for visitors to enjoy them in their natural setting, the park release said.

The adult female, approximately 4-5 years of age, was not a good candidate for an educational or zoo facility and was euthanized. The opportunity to place wild bears in an accredited facility is not always an option. The cubs are being relocated to Oswald Bear Ranch in Newberry, Michigan. The facility provides educational opportunities about bears and information about how to protect their natural environment. Park staff followed National Park Service policies as well as guidance from agency veterinarian to conduct all actions in a humane manner.