First grizzly bear sighting this year in Yellowstone

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. – Yellowstone National Park has recorded its first grizzly bear sighting of the year as bears start to come out of hibernation with the pending end of winter.

The National Park Service says park visitors observed a large grizzly bear between Canyon Village and Fishing Bridge last Friday. Additionally, grizzly tracks were reported between Mammoth Hot Springs and Norris Junction on Monday. The first grizzly bear sighting in 2018 occurred on March 7.

Male grizzlies typically come out of hibernation in mid-to-late March. Females with cubs emerge in April and early May.

When bears emerge from hibernation, they look for food and often feed on elk and bison that died over the winter. Sometimes, bears will react aggressively while feeding on carcasses.