Ruinous Conduct Relapse: An untold story with common circumstances

Photo: In 1931, park officials in Yellowstone National Park (YNP) began to document and keep detailed records of human-bear conflict and injury, property damage. A shift in bear management took place, following the tragic death of Martha Hansen. On August 23, 1942 at the Old Faithful Campground, she was walking between her cabin and the outhouse when she was attacked and killed by a bear. Photo Credit: R.Robinson/NPS

In focus: Grizzly #59
 
Life History: Grizzly #59 was born in Yellowstone National Park (YNP) during 1978. Her lineage is unknown. The Bear Management Office would first incidentally capture #59 on July 24, 1980 near Canyon, YNP as a non-target capture (management). She, however, was still relocated to Shelf Lake, YNP. One year later, the Bear Management Office captured #59, again, in Canyon, YNP for management purposes. She was relocated to Death Ridge, YNP. In 1983, her collar failed. Grizzly 59 was captured again for research purposes by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team (IGBST) on June 16, 1984 at Antelope Creek, YNP. That year, she was observed with two cubs-of-the-year (COY). A little more than a month later, grizzly 59 was captured again, on July 5, 1984 at Antelope Creek, YNP. During 1985, her collar would fail again. In 1985, she was also observed with no offspring, suggesting that she lost her cubs. The following year would mark the beginning of the end for grizzly #59. On September 4, 1986, she was captured in Canyon, YNP and relocated to Cub Creek, YNP for management purposes. She was accompanied by two COY at the time of her relocation. However, after arriving at Cub Creek, grizzly 59 would be observed with no offspring. In 33 days, grizzly #59 would travel westward towards Hayden Valley, YNP where she would meet her demise. On October 7th, 1986, a photographer approached grizzly #59 too closely in Hayden Valley, YNP; the bear attacked and killed the photographer. Grizzly #59 was removed  at Otter Creek, YNP for her role in the human-fatality. At the time, this marked the fifth documented fatality in Yellowstone since 1916. 

Timeline: A table of events surrounding the fatal bear attacks in Yellowstone National Park between 1916 and 2019. Note that bear attacks not resulting in fatalities are not listed.

Relocation, Removal and Management Techniques:
The relocation of bears is generally used as a management technique to temporarily resolve bear/human conflict. Relocation in various aspects, has proved to be ineffective.
 
Specific guidelines have been establish by Yellowstone National Park in determining when relocation is warranted. The decision to relocate a bear must be coordinated and discussed with the Bear Management Committee. Non-target captures or bears unintentionally captured during relocation efforts will be released and not relocated. The following criteria need to be evaluated when deciding to relocate a bear:
 

1. Degree of aggression displayed or exhibited by the bear in question
2. Degree of habituation to humans, conditioning to human food
3. Past history and current disposition
4. Age, sex, and overall health of the bear
5. Area of the park the bear is causing issues (backcountry, roadside, campgrounds, etc.)
6. Human safety

 
Bears may be released or relocated outside of the park with collaboration and consultation with appropriate authorities and agencies. Additionally, bears may also be relocated from outside areas to inside Yellowstone, but only after consultation with appropriate parties.
 
To enhance the chances of successful relocation, habitat type, foods and food availability, elevation and density of bears in an area are all taken into consideration prior to relocation efforts.

Photo: Headline featuring a picture of the Wapiti sow and two cubs, responsible for two fatalities in Yellowstone National Park during 2011 in the Hayden Valley area. Article by: Jessica Grose Photo credit: James Yule

Photo: A photo taken by Marylyn Matayoshi, wife of the late Brian Matayoshi, who was attacked an killed while hiking the Wapiti Lake Trail during 2011.

Removal of Nuisance Bears
 
The guidelines as established for relocation still apply to the removal of nuisance bears. However, procedures for the removal of nuisance bears is, as follows:
 

1. Relocation of the bear from the area, to another ecosystem, state or country
2. Relocation of the bear to a captive facility such as a zoo, research laboratory or sanctuary
3. Humane termination of the bear***
   1. Except for emergency circumstances involving an imminent threat to human safety, all bears will be destroyed through euthanasia at the Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks Lab in Bozeman, MT.

Management Technique: Hazing
 
Hazing of bears in Yellowstone comes in the form of bear deterrent round, thumper gun projectiles, sling shots, rocks, cracker shells, sirens, horns in an effort to temporarily move bears away from roadsides, human occupied areas, or where there is a bear-related safety concern.
 
Aversive conditioning is a form of learning which takes place when an animal is punished for an undesirable behavior. The goals of aversive conditioning are the following:
 

1. Reduce the number of bear removals in the ecosystem; control and management removals have become a major part and player in grizzly bear mortality
2. Reduce the number of bears needed to be trapped an relocated to remote sites; relocation does not prevent the problem from recurring. Many bears have the innate ability to return to their original home range. This of course, creates the possibility for repeat offenders. Aversive conditioning offers an alternative and the potential for a bear to modify its behavior as opposed to relocation which only provides a temporary solution.
3. Reduce bear-caused human injury, by discouraging bears from frequenting developed and human occupied areas
4. Establish a fear of humans that otherwise could allow for a bear to become dangerous due to habituation
5. Evaluate effectiveness of various aversive conditioning techniques to better equip personnel to keep bears away from sites of human occupancy and or food sources

 
Specific guidelines have been established for when to use aversive conditioning which include:
 

1. May be used as an additional management tool to prevent the removal of bears; under certain conditions, bears may be conditioned to avoid certain areas in their home range
2. Aversive conditioning will be most successful and effective if it is utilized when they first encounter humans or food rewarding situations
3. Younger bears are ideal candidates for aversive conditioning during their exposure to humans and or food rewards
4. Adult bears that have lost their fear of humans and or have been repeatedly receiving food rewards are not good candidates for aversive conditioning
5. This technique should not be used when attractants cannot be removed; aversive conditioning was ineffective at sewage lagoons and trout spawning areas, where the attractants to not be removed (instead these areas are seasonally or permanently restricted)
6. Injured or sick bears are not candidates for aversive conditioning
7. Aggressive bears are not candidates for aversive conditioning
8. Aversive conditioning should only be conducted by those trained in these techniques
9. Only equipment approved for use in aversive conditioning should be utilized
10. Shot placement is critical to ensure the animal is not injured when using bean bags etc.

​1.) Gunther, K. A. (1994). Bear management in Yellowstone National Park, 1960-93. Bears: their biology and management, 549-560.
2.) Gunther, K. A. (1994). Yellowstone National Park Bear Management Plan. National Park Service, Yellowstone National Park. pp66.