Many Glacier camp reopens to tents

Glacier National Park has reopened the Many Glacier frontcountry campground to tents, after attempts to capture a rogue grizzly bear were unsuccessful.

The Park closed the campground on June 30 after a 150-pound grizzly roamed into the camp, jumped on a picnic table and ate two fish campers had caught, despite one of the campers spraying it with bear spray from about 15 feet away.

It also sniffed and pawed a couple of backpacks, dug into two fire pits, sniffed picnic tables, a tent, and an RV with visitors inside.

Park rangers consider the bear to be food conditioned and tried to trap it, but to no avail.

The bear was also reported on the Swiftcurrent Nature Trail several days earlier. At that time the bear was not exhibiting aggressive behavior, but was reportedly unafraid of visitors.

Food conditioned bears are typically transferred to zoos or killed, under the Park’s bear management guidelines.

They can be dangerous. Decades ago, a woman was killed by a food-conditioned bear in the Many Glacier campground.

Rangers continue to implore visitors to keep clean camps. Food should be kept in vehicles or hard-sided campers. Garbage should be disposed of properly in garbage receptacles and never burned in fire pits.

Food should never be left unattended.

Over a two day period this last weekend, rangers made 19 contacts for food storage violations, issuing both citations and warnings. They confiscated 12 unattended coolers from parking areas, and moved unattended food to bear boxes at two campsites.

Learn more about bear safety at: https://www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/bears.htm