It’s cold and snowy in Yellowstone National Park, but the calendar reveals that the first grizzly bear sighting of 2023 could occur any day.
Last year the park announced the first known sighting of an out-of-den grizzly bear on March 8. The bear was spotted by a pilot over the west-central portion of the park.
In 2021, the first sighting was logged March 13, again by a pilot, as the grizzly bear interacted with wolves feasting on a large carcass.
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In 2020, the first grizzly bear sighting occurred March 7 near Grand Prismatic Spring, and in 2019 the first sighting was March 8 between Canyon Village and the Fishing Bridge.
Weather, of course, factors into when grizzly bears exit hibernation dens and how long they remain outside. (This week has featured daytime temperatures in the high teens.)
However, it’s typical for male grizzly bears to begin emerging from dens in early March, while female bears with cubs usually wait until April or early May.
The first grizzly bear sighting, for fans of Yellowstone National Park, is an exciting reminder that spring is close at hand.
–Generic grizzly bear image courtesy of Yellowstone National Park
