Yosemite National Park
Life of the Bear
Spring: April to June
Food — Grasses, forbs and other plants.
Bears are coming out of their dens. Cubs are just 10 pounds and still nursing. Their mothers begin to teach them about finding natural sources of food. Time to forage for food in lush meadows.
Summer: June to August
Food — Currants, raspberries, chokecherries and manzanita berries.
Bears are crepuscular (active at dawn and dusk), napping in the shade or hanging out in berry patches during the day. You may not see any bears, but they are around. They are actually quite shy and very quiet.
Fall: September to November
Food — Elderberry, acorns and insects.
Bears will travel to higher elevations in search of elderberries or use their claws to rip apart logs to eat the insects inside. Acorns from oak trees are an important source of food.
To survive winter, bears must build up their fat reserves during the fall months. Bears consume up to 20,000 calories a day and will seek out high calorie foods.
Winter: December to March
Food — Little natural food is available.
To conserve energy, most bears hibernate through winter. Bears may wake up and leave the den in search of food. Proper food storage is still important during these months!
Cubs born late January/early February weigh only 10—16 oz. Bears can lose half of their body weight during hibernation. In Yosemite Valley, many bears hibernate in the talus slopes along the cliff walls.
Yosemite In Depth
News from the Parks
National Parks Escape, This Time Around
January 8, 2009 - 5:17pm
Unlike the last two years, popular recreation areas in Western Washington have escaped serious damage from this week’s heavy rain. Mount Rainier National Park and Gifford Pinchot National Forest were devastated by flooding in 2007. Last year, flooding hit Olympic National Park.
January 8, 2009 - 5:17pm
Unlike the last two years, popular recreation areas in Western Washington have escaped serious damage from this week’s heavy rain. Mount Rainier National Park and Gifford Pinchot National Forest were devastated by flooding in 2007. Last year, flooding hit Olympic National Park.
Dorgan with Game and Fish
January 8, 2009 - 5:06pm
Sen. Byron Dorgan, (D-N.D.) said he agrees with the North Dakota Game and Fish Department on the elk situation at Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Since the unveiling of the National Park Service’s Draft Elk Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement on Dec. 17, Game and Fish officials have voiced their displeasure that the document did not include their “Alternative G,” as a viable option.
January 8, 2009 - 5:06pm
Sen. Byron Dorgan, (D-N.D.) said he agrees with the North Dakota Game and Fish Department on the elk situation at Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Since the unveiling of the National Park Service’s Draft Elk Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement on Dec. 17, Game and Fish officials have voiced their displeasure that the document did not include their “Alternative G,” as a viable option.
Coming to the Inauguration? Read This First, Then Think Again
January 8, 2009 - 5:05pm
All roads will lead to Washington on Inauguration Day, but many of them will be closed. With packed trains, buses and planes, how will as many as 2 million people who are hoping to witness history crowd into a city whose subway system usually accommodates 718,000 a day?
January 8, 2009 - 5:05pm
All roads will lead to Washington on Inauguration Day, but many of them will be closed. With packed trains, buses and planes, how will as many as 2 million people who are hoping to witness history crowd into a city whose subway system usually accommodates 718,000 a day?
Scientists Ready to Analyze Yellowstone Park Quake Data
January 8, 2009 - 5:01pm
Between Dec. 27 and Jan. 2, more than 500 small earthquakes shook Yellowstone National Park. The swarm of quakes was centered below Yellowstone Lake, beginning southeast of Stevenson Island and migrating north toward Fishing Bridge before quieting.
January 8, 2009 - 5:01pm
Between Dec. 27 and Jan. 2, more than 500 small earthquakes shook Yellowstone National Park. The swarm of quakes was centered below Yellowstone Lake, beginning southeast of Stevenson Island and migrating north toward Fishing Bridge before quieting.
Haleakala National Park Gets New Superintendent
January 8, 2009 - 5:00pm
Sarah Creachbaum, a 15-year veteran of the National Park Service, has been named superintendent of Haleakala National Park.
January 8, 2009 - 5:00pm
Sarah Creachbaum, a 15-year veteran of the National Park Service, has been named superintendent of Haleakala National Park.
