Annual GBOP and Woodland Park Zoo Bear Affair event

For the last several years, Grizzly Bear Outreach Project, GBOP, has had the fortune to participate in Woodland Park Zoo’s Bear Affair and Big Howl for Wolves event.  This year the event was held on Saturday, June 5^th.  It was a warm, sunny day that attracted thousands of visitors from across Washington. Bear Affair is a great opportunity for zoo visitors to learn first hand from GBOP staff how to keep a bear safe campsite and backyard.  Julie Hopkins, GBOP’s staff representative shared safety tips about recreating and living safely and responsibly in bear country. Julie mentioned that bears follow their noses to investigate any strong smell, whether it’s coffee grounds, hair spray or biodiesel.  Bears have incredible memories and can remember ten years later where they found a good food source.

 

 

 

   

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In the morning, the zoo’s two 16-year old brown bears, Keema and Denali were brought out into a mock campsite with food scattered throughout.  They both quickly found all the yummy food spread in the tent and stored in the cooler. At one point one of the bears walked right into the tent with its face out one end and its rear end out the other end of the tent.  It was a funny sight and the crowd enjoyed watching as the bear eventually leveled the tent and rolled all about with its feet up in the air. It was an eye opener for people to find out what happens when your food is improperly stored at your campsite. For details about storing food properly take a look at our website https://westernwildlife.org/black-bears/tips-for-coexistence/      

In the afternoon, the Woodland Park Zoo staff set up a makeshift backyard with table and chairs, barbeque, bird feeder, dog house with dog food inside and garbage cans.  Once again, Keema and Denali came out and found all the food. Bears are constantly on the prowl for food and with their keen sense of smell they are drawn into our backyards from a mile away by bird feeders.  Julie mentioned that for a bear walking into a backyard and finding a bowl of dog food is like walking into a grocery store.  Food that is easily available in our yards is what attracts bears to our neighborhoods, and garbage cans are the number one attractant. Bears can easily smash open a garbage can but a bear resistant garbage can is just that-resistant to bears. In the end, it is up to us to keep food sources away from bears in our neighborhoods. When the food is no longer available the bears will go back to the forests to eat what they are meant to eat-plants, berries and grubs.